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Signet Regency Christmas #8
A Regency Christmas VIII
Make the season bright with these original stories of Christmas love, written by five award-winning Regency authors--Elisabeth Fairchild, Carla Kelly, Allison Lane, Edith Layton, and Barbara Metzger. Heartwarming, celebratory, and romantic, each delighful story in this eighth book in the "Regency Christmas" series captures the essence of the Yuletide spirit.
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 1, 1998
About the author
Barbara Metzger
108 books203 followersBarbara Metzger is the author of over three dozen books and a dozen novellas. She has also been an editor, a proof-reader, a greeting card verse-writer, and an artist. When not painting, writing romances or reading them, she volunteers at the local library, gardens and goes beach-combing and yard-saling.
Her novels, mostly set in Regency-era England, have won numerous awards, including the Romance Writers of America RITA, the National Reader's Choice Award, and the Madcap award for humor in romance writing. In addition, Barbara has won two Career Achievement Awards from Romantic Times Magazine.
Source: http://www.barbarametzger.com/about_b...
Her novels, mostly set in Regency-era England, have won numerous awards, including the Romance Writers of America RITA, the National Reader's Choice Award, and the Madcap award for humor in romance writing. In addition, Barbara has won two Career Achievement Awards from Romantic Times Magazine.
Source: http://www.barbarametzger.com/about_b...
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 15, 2016
~Three Good Deeds by Barbara Metzger, 4*: Funny and sweet
~Felicity's Forfeit by Elisabeth Fairchild, 3*
~Second Chance by Alison Lane, 3*
~The Christmas Ornament by Carla Kelly, 5*
~The Hounds of Heaven by Edith Layton, 3*
~Felicity's Forfeit by Elisabeth Fairchild, 3*
~Second Chance by Alison Lane, 3*
~The Christmas Ornament by Carla Kelly, 5*
~The Hounds of Heaven by Edith Layton, 3*
July 13, 2013
My Christmas in July reading continues with this 1998 anthology of Regency set Christmas stories.
In Three Good Deeds by Barbara Metzger, three mischievous young boys must atone for breaking a church window just before the Bishop's Christmas visit. They try to make things right in their community and bring together a long-estranged father and son who have ties to their mother's past.
Instead of an animal companion, this story has three young boys. They reminded me of my cousin when he was younger, lovingly referred to as a Dennis the Menace type. The boys in this story mean well but their schemes don't always go according to plan. There is an animal companion who appears later in the story. I just loved her though she didn't have much to do. The story is rather heartwarming but I didn't quite buy the romance. I can see how Connor could fall in love with the boys and feel the need to help Sabrina but the rekindling of romance, beyond physical attraction, isn't fully fleshed out enough. It's almost an afterthought or a secondary plot. I liked the story a lot though.
Felicity's Forefeit by Elisabeth Fairchild is about a down-on-his-luck Viscount, Bingham Kirby. He needs money to save his family and the estate and needs it soon! He tries to work out a solution while ice skating on a pond, where he runs into the vicar's daughters and their cousin Felicity. Felicity is an American from Georgia, unlike any other woman Bingham has ever met. He feels drawn to her in some way but she can not be the solution to his problem. His father, whose memory lapses are becoming wider, keeps going on about a money tree. If only there were such a thing!
This was my least favorite of all the stories. I found Felicity really annoying. She's very bold for a southern lady and her written out accent drove me crazy. It would have been enough to show her drawl once or twice or just mention it without spelling it out. This romance is based largely on physical attraction. The characters barely know one other though they did share a life altering experience. I figured out the mystery just as the characters did. It was cleverly done and not something I would have thought of. However, it does make the ending a little too neat and perfect but this is a Christmas anthology so it's OK.
Second Chance by Allison Lane brings Mrs. Alice MacDougal to Blanchford, a family estate where she spent many happy Christmases as a child and as a teen, fell in love with Jeremy Caristoke and promised to marry him. Her life has not gone according to plan and now she is at Blanchford not as a guest, but as a governess for Jeremy's young nieces and nephews. When Jeremy arrives and discovers the woman who jilted him all those years ago he is angry. A confrontation leads to unexpected results and a realization that he still has feelings for Alice. She seems to care for him still but is determined to push him away. What could she be hiding that is terrible enough to make her unfit to be his wife?
What indeed? This story kept me reading long past when I needed to be asleep. I had to know what the secret was. When it was revealed, I was disappointed. I was expecting something more along the lines of what Jeremy was expecting. The real secret, though devastating, is a little less shocking. I liked how these two came together as mature adults and saw all the best qualities that attracted them to each other in the first place. They realize that neither is the same person they were when they were teens and they have been shaped by their experiences. As an American, I liked learning about Alice's life and a bit about the history of the American frontier during the War of 1812.
I really liked Jeremy. He's so sweet, loving and kind - very different from the usual cynical rakish hero. He's also a younger son, which allows him the freedom to be himself. He's a wonderful uncle and all the children adore him. Alice is a little harder to like. She's too hard on herself. I expect that in the same situation, most people would feel the same way. She also feels her past makes her unfit to grace any drawing room but I don't see why anyone need know what she did in America. No one would really want to know and asking would be a polite formality anyway. I was surprised that she and Jeremy had been able to slip away and be alone together before their initial engagement. I wasn't surprised at the consequences of that meeting. Those consequences and Alice's secret make the story darker, yet more poignant, than the usual Christmas cheer story. I liked this one a lot. It's one of my favorites in the anthology.
Another favorite is The Christmas Ornament by Carla Kelly. Sir Waldo Hannaford has a problem and he turns to his old friend, Lord Waverly for help. Sir Waldo's youngest daughter, Willa, is ready for her debut in London. Sir Waldo and his wife are loving and concerned parents. Lady Waldo wants her baby girl close by and he doesn't think she'll meet anyone she likes in London or anyone who will appreciate his beloved youngest daughter for her brains. She's too smart for her own good. Lord Waverly has a son, James, an Oxford don, who is also too smart for his own good. The fond parents hatch a scheme to marry their brainy offspring to each other. It's a tough task when Jeremy is shy and awkward. First he thinks Willa couldn't possibly be an attractive woman- she's his late best friend's baby sister! Then when he sees her, with her unruly mop of red curls, he finds she has grown up nicely indeed. She's also intelligent and interested in his work- in short, the perfect wife for him. Now, he just has to figure out how to talk to her without bumbling and mumbling and making a fool of himself. When meddling relatives bring home more gentlemen for Willa, James fears he doesn't have a chance.
This story is so cute!!! A shy, awkward hero (though not inexperienced) is something totally new and unexpected. He is NOT a Heyer-o and the plot is not ripped off from the usual canon of Regency plots. I loved Jeremy but I'm not sure I'd want to marry him. I suppose I would though if I lived back then because men who appreciated a woman's intellect seem few and far between in the Regency novel world. I also loved Willa. She's incredibly brilliant! I didn't understand half of what Jeremy was talking about or why on earth she wanted to study Geometry of all things. I think Willa must be based on Ada Lovelace. She also eschewed literature in favor of mathematics and the way Willa reads and corrects Jeremy's research is much like the way Ada Lovelace made notes on Babbage's engine.
I could have done without the rivals but it made the story more interesting. I wondered whether she would initially choose comfort over love or if she would let love win the day or if Jeremy would miss his opportunity. This story doesn't have much to do with Christmas aside from the timeframe.
In The Hounds of Heaven by Edith Layton, a new little of puppies born on the streets of London must make their own way in the world, while human character, Lord Thadeus Rose, proposes to Helena, who would make the perfect bride. However, Helena rejects Thadeus on the grounds he can not promise to be faithful to her forever. His parents have an open marriage and he doesn't really know or expect any different, but Helena dreams of true and everlasting devoted love. His pride wounded, Thadeus finds himself angry at everyone, drinking to excess and stumbling home drunk through an alley, where is struck from behind, robbed and left for another thug to finish him off. He'd be singing with the angels if it weren't for a beast- a dog- who, for some reason, feels the need to protect him. Ever grateful to the beast, he names Titan (er actually make that Titania), he brings the mutt home with him. The dog shows Thadeus a very important lesson that may make his Christmas merry after all.
This story is sweet and light. It reads a lot like a Barbara Metzger tale, with the dog as a major character. The message is heavy handed and I don't really buy the romance. Because Thadeus and Helena already have a history, we don't get to see them interact or find out why they love one another, aside from physical attraction. The surprise at the end was pretty funny and totally characteristic of rescue dogs from what I've heard. I'm a sucker for a good dog story so this one warmed my heart.
Overall, a great anthology! These stories are all clean with mild sensuality, mention of a former kept woman, premarital pregnancy, opera dancer and open marriage.
In Three Good Deeds by Barbara Metzger, three mischievous young boys must atone for breaking a church window just before the Bishop's Christmas visit. They try to make things right in their community and bring together a long-estranged father and son who have ties to their mother's past.
Instead of an animal companion, this story has three young boys. They reminded me of my cousin when he was younger, lovingly referred to as a Dennis the Menace type. The boys in this story mean well but their schemes don't always go according to plan. There is an animal companion who appears later in the story. I just loved her though she didn't have much to do. The story is rather heartwarming but I didn't quite buy the romance. I can see how Connor could fall in love with the boys and feel the need to help Sabrina but the rekindling of romance, beyond physical attraction, isn't fully fleshed out enough. It's almost an afterthought or a secondary plot. I liked the story a lot though.
Felicity's Forefeit by Elisabeth Fairchild is about a down-on-his-luck Viscount, Bingham Kirby. He needs money to save his family and the estate and needs it soon! He tries to work out a solution while ice skating on a pond, where he runs into the vicar's daughters and their cousin Felicity. Felicity is an American from Georgia, unlike any other woman Bingham has ever met. He feels drawn to her in some way but she can not be the solution to his problem. His father, whose memory lapses are becoming wider, keeps going on about a money tree. If only there were such a thing!
This was my least favorite of all the stories. I found Felicity really annoying. She's very bold for a southern lady and her written out accent drove me crazy. It would have been enough to show her drawl once or twice or just mention it without spelling it out. This romance is based largely on physical attraction. The characters barely know one other though they did share a life altering experience. I figured out the mystery just as the characters did. It was cleverly done and not something I would have thought of. However, it does make the ending a little too neat and perfect but this is a Christmas anthology so it's OK.
Second Chance by Allison Lane brings Mrs. Alice MacDougal to Blanchford, a family estate where she spent many happy Christmases as a child and as a teen, fell in love with Jeremy Caristoke and promised to marry him. Her life has not gone according to plan and now she is at Blanchford not as a guest, but as a governess for Jeremy's young nieces and nephews. When Jeremy arrives and discovers the woman who jilted him all those years ago he is angry. A confrontation leads to unexpected results and a realization that he still has feelings for Alice. She seems to care for him still but is determined to push him away. What could she be hiding that is terrible enough to make her unfit to be his wife?
What indeed? This story kept me reading long past when I needed to be asleep. I had to know what the secret was. When it was revealed, I was disappointed. I was expecting something more along the lines of what Jeremy was expecting. The real secret, though devastating, is a little less shocking. I liked how these two came together as mature adults and saw all the best qualities that attracted them to each other in the first place. They realize that neither is the same person they were when they were teens and they have been shaped by their experiences. As an American, I liked learning about Alice's life and a bit about the history of the American frontier during the War of 1812.
I really liked Jeremy. He's so sweet, loving and kind - very different from the usual cynical rakish hero. He's also a younger son, which allows him the freedom to be himself. He's a wonderful uncle and all the children adore him. Alice is a little harder to like. She's too hard on herself. I expect that in the same situation, most people would feel the same way. She also feels her past makes her unfit to grace any drawing room but I don't see why anyone need know what she did in America. No one would really want to know and asking would be a polite formality anyway. I was surprised that she and Jeremy had been able to slip away and be alone together before their initial engagement. I wasn't surprised at the consequences of that meeting. Those consequences and Alice's secret make the story darker, yet more poignant, than the usual Christmas cheer story. I liked this one a lot. It's one of my favorites in the anthology.
Another favorite is The Christmas Ornament by Carla Kelly. Sir Waldo Hannaford has a problem and he turns to his old friend, Lord Waverly for help. Sir Waldo's youngest daughter, Willa, is ready for her debut in London. Sir Waldo and his wife are loving and concerned parents. Lady Waldo wants her baby girl close by and he doesn't think she'll meet anyone she likes in London or anyone who will appreciate his beloved youngest daughter for her brains. She's too smart for her own good. Lord Waverly has a son, James, an Oxford don, who is also too smart for his own good. The fond parents hatch a scheme to marry their brainy offspring to each other. It's a tough task when Jeremy is shy and awkward. First he thinks Willa couldn't possibly be an attractive woman- she's his late best friend's baby sister! Then when he sees her, with her unruly mop of red curls, he finds she has grown up nicely indeed. She's also intelligent and interested in his work- in short, the perfect wife for him. Now, he just has to figure out how to talk to her without bumbling and mumbling and making a fool of himself. When meddling relatives bring home more gentlemen for Willa, James fears he doesn't have a chance.
This story is so cute!!! A shy, awkward hero (though not inexperienced) is something totally new and unexpected. He is NOT a Heyer-o and the plot is not ripped off from the usual canon of Regency plots. I loved Jeremy but I'm not sure I'd want to marry him. I suppose I would though if I lived back then because men who appreciated a woman's intellect seem few and far between in the Regency novel world. I also loved Willa. She's incredibly brilliant! I didn't understand half of what Jeremy was talking about or why on earth she wanted to study Geometry of all things. I think Willa must be based on Ada Lovelace. She also eschewed literature in favor of mathematics and the way Willa reads and corrects Jeremy's research is much like the way Ada Lovelace made notes on Babbage's engine.
I could have done without the rivals but it made the story more interesting. I wondered whether she would initially choose comfort over love or if she would let love win the day or if Jeremy would miss his opportunity. This story doesn't have much to do with Christmas aside from the timeframe.
In The Hounds of Heaven by Edith Layton, a new little of puppies born on the streets of London must make their own way in the world, while human character, Lord Thadeus Rose, proposes to Helena, who would make the perfect bride. However, Helena rejects Thadeus on the grounds he can not promise to be faithful to her forever. His parents have an open marriage and he doesn't really know or expect any different, but Helena dreams of true and everlasting devoted love. His pride wounded, Thadeus finds himself angry at everyone, drinking to excess and stumbling home drunk through an alley, where is struck from behind, robbed and left for another thug to finish him off. He'd be singing with the angels if it weren't for a beast- a dog- who, for some reason, feels the need to protect him. Ever grateful to the beast, he names Titan (er actually make that Titania), he brings the mutt home with him. The dog shows Thadeus a very important lesson that may make his Christmas merry after all.
This story is sweet and light. It reads a lot like a Barbara Metzger tale, with the dog as a major character. The message is heavy handed and I don't really buy the romance. Because Thadeus and Helena already have a history, we don't get to see them interact or find out why they love one another, aside from physical attraction. The surprise at the end was pretty funny and totally characteristic of rescue dogs from what I've heard. I'm a sucker for a good dog story so this one warmed my heart.
Overall, a great anthology! These stories are all clean with mild sensuality, mention of a former kept woman, premarital pregnancy, opera dancer and open marriage.
February 20, 2019
2.00 stars overall - heavy pg13 to mild r-lite (A secular “clean” traditional Regency --- there
might be
use of: mild cursing/profanity, innuendo, mention of mistresses, gambling, drinking, etc. -- see specific details below)
Three Good Deeds by Barbara Metzger - 2.75 stars - rated heavy pg13 (God’s name used in vain; expletives such as “damn”, “hell”, “bastard”; some mild innuendo and reference to mistresses, “birds of paradise”, “opera dancers”, etc.; the term “ass” is used to refer to a donkey but it’s also meant to have double meaning – it’s funny, but also contrived and cheap) - It’s not Metzger’s best story, but it was cute. It’s funny in places but, as usual, she tends to go just a hair too far and over-the-top, and the tone sometimes felt too modern. I did like the descriptions of decorating the Castle for Christmas – the suits of armor with wreaths around the necks and clove-studded oranges skewered on swords.
Felicity’s Forfeit by Elisabeth Fairchild - 1.00 star - DNF (quit a third of the way in) - I just could not get past the way the author spelled out the heroine’s American and Southern accent throughout the story. It was excruciatingly painful and unrelenting, and just did not fit in an English, Regency-era story. “You are tawlking to a greenhorn, mistuh.” “De-ah Gawd! You saved mah laf! Bless you, suh. You saved me from certain dayeth!” “Ah thought it would be better for awl concerned if the damsels in distress walked rather than sittin’ about awaitin’ the return of their knight in shinin’ armor.” “Mah cousins are lak the sisters ah never had.” “There are times when my head gets to whirlin’, when ah feel like bawlin’ mah eyes out.” “So you find the way ah tawlk amusin’, do you?” NO!! I don’t find the way you “tawlk” to be “amusin”, I find it to be beyond annoying!! I have no problem with a southern accent - my family is southern to the core - but this story is simply intolerable, for me. Like nails on a chalkboard!! Enough already!
Second Chance by Allison Lane - 1.50 stars - rated mild r-lite (God’s name used in vain; expletive “damn” used; innuendo and sensuality; too much mention of sparks and heat and exploding need and groaning and bodies fitting together and detailed “hot” kisses and heat pooling in the groin, etc.) - I think the underlying storytelling is good, but author throws in too much melodrama. Plus, it’s way too sensual to be a “clean”, traditional, old-school Regency.
The Christmas Ornament by Carla Kelly - 2.75 stars - rated pg13/heavy pg13 (occasional use of God’s name in vain; vague reference to being discreet with opera dancers; and this crass line could surely have been worded differently “wed her and bed her and breed with her”) - It’s been a long time since I read one of Carla Kelly’s stories. I used to really like her books and gave most of them 4 and 5 stars. Either my taste has changed or this one just fell a little short. Her writing style is still better than most authors, but I found this story to just be average.
The Hounds of Heaven by Edith Layton - 1.50 stars - rated heavy pg13/mild r-lite (God’s name used in vain; expletives such as “damn”; “bitch” used to describe female dog but then also used to describe women; lots of innuendo; lots of reference to infidelity, open marriages, mistresses, etc.) - This whole story was a bit odd and unsettling. Because of the dog I wanted to like it, but the underlying thread of hero’s struggle with the idea of fidelity was unsavory to me. This author can write well, but this particular story was just too tarnished, and too silly and odd in places (including the very end).
Three Good Deeds by Barbara Metzger - 2.75 stars - rated heavy pg13 (God’s name used in vain; expletives such as “damn”, “hell”, “bastard”; some mild innuendo and reference to mistresses, “birds of paradise”, “opera dancers”, etc.; the term “ass” is used to refer to a donkey but it’s also meant to have double meaning – it’s funny, but also contrived and cheap) - It’s not Metzger’s best story, but it was cute. It’s funny in places but, as usual, she tends to go just a hair too far and over-the-top, and the tone sometimes felt too modern. I did like the descriptions of decorating the Castle for Christmas – the suits of armor with wreaths around the necks and clove-studded oranges skewered on swords.
Felicity’s Forfeit by Elisabeth Fairchild - 1.00 star - DNF (quit a third of the way in) - I just could not get past the way the author spelled out the heroine’s American and Southern accent throughout the story. It was excruciatingly painful and unrelenting, and just did not fit in an English, Regency-era story. “You are tawlking to a greenhorn, mistuh.” “De-ah Gawd! You saved mah laf! Bless you, suh. You saved me from certain dayeth!” “Ah thought it would be better for awl concerned if the damsels in distress walked rather than sittin’ about awaitin’ the return of their knight in shinin’ armor.” “Mah cousins are lak the sisters ah never had.” “There are times when my head gets to whirlin’, when ah feel like bawlin’ mah eyes out.” “So you find the way ah tawlk amusin’, do you?” NO!! I don’t find the way you “tawlk” to be “amusin”, I find it to be beyond annoying!! I have no problem with a southern accent - my family is southern to the core - but this story is simply intolerable, for me. Like nails on a chalkboard!! Enough already!
Second Chance by Allison Lane - 1.50 stars - rated mild r-lite (God’s name used in vain; expletive “damn” used; innuendo and sensuality; too much mention of sparks and heat and exploding need and groaning and bodies fitting together and detailed “hot” kisses and heat pooling in the groin, etc.) - I think the underlying storytelling is good, but author throws in too much melodrama. Plus, it’s way too sensual to be a “clean”, traditional, old-school Regency.
The Christmas Ornament by Carla Kelly - 2.75 stars - rated pg13/heavy pg13 (occasional use of God’s name in vain; vague reference to being discreet with opera dancers; and this crass line could surely have been worded differently “wed her and bed her and breed with her”) - It’s been a long time since I read one of Carla Kelly’s stories. I used to really like her books and gave most of them 4 and 5 stars. Either my taste has changed or this one just fell a little short. Her writing style is still better than most authors, but I found this story to just be average.
The Hounds of Heaven by Edith Layton - 1.50 stars - rated heavy pg13/mild r-lite (God’s name used in vain; expletives such as “damn”; “bitch” used to describe female dog but then also used to describe women; lots of innuendo; lots of reference to infidelity, open marriages, mistresses, etc.) - This whole story was a bit odd and unsettling. Because of the dog I wanted to like it, but the underlying thread of hero’s struggle with the idea of fidelity was unsavory to me. This author can write well, but this particular story was just too tarnished, and too silly and odd in places (including the very end).
December 3, 2022
Five Christmas romance novellas.
Three Good Deeds by Metzger - A cute story about three young boys charged with doing three good deeds before Christmas. Of course they create some havoc for their widowed mother in the process. 4*
Felicity's Forfeit by Fairchild - Just OK. I disliked the heroine's southern accent, and the story didn't work for me. 2*
Second Chance by Allison Lane - Way too sad for a Christmas story, I think. Sure there can be some pathos, but this was too much for me, with not enough happy after to balance it out. 2*
The Christmas Ornament by Carla Kelly - Delightful! Once again Kelly creates likable but flawed characters who manage to grow into their happy ending. 5*
The Hounds of Heaven by Edith Layton - Appealing story about a young man who learns a lesson of the heart - from a stray dog. 4*
Three Good Deeds by Metzger - A cute story about three young boys charged with doing three good deeds before Christmas. Of course they create some havoc for their widowed mother in the process. 4*
Felicity's Forfeit by Fairchild - Just OK. I disliked the heroine's southern accent, and the story didn't work for me. 2*
Second Chance by Allison Lane - Way too sad for a Christmas story, I think. Sure there can be some pathos, but this was too much for me, with not enough happy after to balance it out. 2*
The Christmas Ornament by Carla Kelly - Delightful! Once again Kelly creates likable but flawed characters who manage to grow into their happy ending. 5*
The Hounds of Heaven by Edith Layton - Appealing story about a young man who learns a lesson of the heart - from a stray dog. 4*
July 27, 2016
I am only reading "A Christmas Ornament" by Carla Kelly.
Very cute story about childhood friends who love each other as-is.
Very cute story about childhood friends who love each other as-is.
December 31, 2016
My favorites are The Christmas Ornament, although not sure why a badly sprained ankle would put a person flat on his back for days, and The Hounds of Heaven, up until the last few paragraphs.
Read
December 5, 2023The Christmas Ornament is contained in Carla Kelly’s Christmas Collection
Read
December 12, 2007This was the last Christmas book I read in 2007. I still have a few in the TBR pile but maybe I'll save them for next Christmas.
In Barbara Metzger's THREE GOOD DEED three boys who are trying to make up for having broken one of the church's windows have to do 3 good deeds and end up matching their widowed mother with her childhood love. A B.
In Elisabeth Fairchild's FELICITY'S FORFEIT we almost have a big misunderstanding story. A ruined lord has to marry for money and doesn't realise the woman he is falling in love with is an american heiress so he tries to avoid her. The american accent that was written down as it sounded annoyed me a bit as I almost had to read out loud to understand at time. A C+.
In Allison Lane's SECOND CHANCE I felt the story had potential but having it hanging on one or two big misunderstandings was a bit too much in my view. And it was too obvious why Alice had to marry in a hurry. A C+
In Carla Kelly's THE CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT we have a really sweet story about two parents who decide to match up their children and how the said children fall in love with each other but seem to have problems actually talking about it. A B+.
In Edith Layton's HOUNDS OF HEAVEN a dog brings a Lord and his loved one together after she first refuses his proposal believing he wont be faithful. It was my favorite story and I must say I'm really curious to know if Layton's wrote the other dogs's stories. It's a litter of 4 and we only know about 2 of them... An A.
Grade: B
In Barbara Metzger's THREE GOOD DEED three boys who are trying to make up for having broken one of the church's windows have to do 3 good deeds and end up matching their widowed mother with her childhood love. A B.
In Elisabeth Fairchild's FELICITY'S FORFEIT we almost have a big misunderstanding story. A ruined lord has to marry for money and doesn't realise the woman he is falling in love with is an american heiress so he tries to avoid her. The american accent that was written down as it sounded annoyed me a bit as I almost had to read out loud to understand at time. A C+.
In Allison Lane's SECOND CHANCE I felt the story had potential but having it hanging on one or two big misunderstandings was a bit too much in my view. And it was too obvious why Alice had to marry in a hurry. A C+
In Carla Kelly's THE CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT we have a really sweet story about two parents who decide to match up their children and how the said children fall in love with each other but seem to have problems actually talking about it. A B+.
In Edith Layton's HOUNDS OF HEAVEN a dog brings a Lord and his loved one together after she first refuses his proposal believing he wont be faithful. It was my favorite story and I must say I'm really curious to know if Layton's wrote the other dogs's stories. It's a litter of 4 and we only know about 2 of them... An A.
Grade: B
December 10, 2013
I really enjoyed this book! Some very fun Christmas reads, short but sweet. I think Edith Layton's was my favorite if the five, I loved Titiana and her effect on Lord Rose! I wasn't as much of a fan of Carla Kelly's though, which surprised me. I've read several of her books and enjoyed them very much. There was just too much introspective thinking done by the characters, almost to the point of it being written in first person. Otherwise though, the book was fantastic and I definitely recommend it!
July 23, 2010
Really like the Metzger and Layton novella
December 15, 2016
I am going to keep this book to reread the first and the last story. The other three were not worth reading the first time.
October 8, 2010
The story by Carla Kelly, The Christmas Ornament, is particularly good.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews