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Signet Christmas Anthologies #2
A Regency Christmas Carol
Mary Balogh, Anne Barbour, Elisabeth Fairchild, Carla Kelly, and Edith Layton present a collection of five spectacular song-inspired Christmas tales that capture the true spirit and romance of the holidays.
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 1, 1997
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About the author
Mary Balogh
193 books6,401 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 - 29 of 29 reviews
July 11, 2020
I love reading the Christmas anthologies published by Signet years ago. Unfortunately, they only issued this line from 1989 until 1998. The reason I like them so much is I know I will find at least one short story by a favorite author. In the case of A Regency Christmas Carol, it was a twofer.
I enjoyed Mary Balogh’s The Bond Street Carolers and Carla Kelly’s Make A Joyful Noise. Sadly, I thought the others were forgettable.
TBSC: Roderick Ames, Baron Heath, was a Scrooge when it came to Christmas. He had his secretary buy his extended family their gifts; he preferred time away from them. Personally, he loathed the holiday.
Two young children, their mother -a widow-, and Christmas time spilled over. Baron Heath changed his tune over a period of five days. If you like Ms. Balogh’s earlier heroes, you should enjoy this novella. 3.5 stars
MAJN:
Carla Kelly writes down-to-earth romances. In the case of Peter Chard, Lord Wythe, and the widow and very pregnant Mrs. Willoughby, it was not different. Christmas was off in the distance but his friendship with the young lady strengthened with each day. His son, Will, and daughter, Emma, loved her just as much. Setting class issues aside and overcoming his shyness, the holiday brought closure to their happiness. 4.5 stars
I enjoyed Mary Balogh’s The Bond Street Carolers and Carla Kelly’s Make A Joyful Noise. Sadly, I thought the others were forgettable.
TBSC: Roderick Ames, Baron Heath, was a Scrooge when it came to Christmas. He had his secretary buy his extended family their gifts; he preferred time away from them. Personally, he loathed the holiday.
Two young children, their mother -a widow-, and Christmas time spilled over. Baron Heath changed his tune over a period of five days. If you like Ms. Balogh’s earlier heroes, you should enjoy this novella. 3.5 stars
MAJN:
Carla Kelly writes down-to-earth romances. In the case of Peter Chard, Lord Wythe, and the widow and very pregnant Mrs. Willoughby, it was not different. Christmas was off in the distance but his friendship with the young lady strengthened with each day. His son, Will, and daughter, Emma, loved her just as much. Setting class issues aside and overcoming his shyness, the holiday brought closure to their happiness. 4.5 stars
December 20, 2019
My review is based on reading "The Bond Street Carolers" by Mary Balogh.
Roderick Ames, Baron Heath, is walking down a London street when he hears the beautiful soprano voice of a young boy soloing with a church choir. Roderick insists that he needs Matthew Berlinton to perform at his yearly concert. But Matthew's mother, Fanny, isn't sold on the idea. She wanted a quiet Christmas at home with her children. Now they'll have to go spend time at choir practices. She also believes Baron Heath is a rake and wants nothing to do with him. But Fanny's young daughter Katie is taken with the Baron. She wants a new Daddy for Christmas and has set her sites on Baron Heath. She hopes Santa will make it happen.
This story takes place over a three day period. Katie and her inner-dialogue was the best part of the story. I just didn't buy the insta-love between Roderick and Fanny. My rating: 3 Stars.
Roderick Ames, Baron Heath, is walking down a London street when he hears the beautiful soprano voice of a young boy soloing with a church choir. Roderick insists that he needs Matthew Berlinton to perform at his yearly concert. But Matthew's mother, Fanny, isn't sold on the idea. She wanted a quiet Christmas at home with her children. Now they'll have to go spend time at choir practices. She also believes Baron Heath is a rake and wants nothing to do with him. But Fanny's young daughter Katie is taken with the Baron. She wants a new Daddy for Christmas and has set her sites on Baron Heath. She hopes Santa will make it happen.
This story takes place over a three day period. Katie and her inner-dialogue was the best part of the story. I just didn't buy the insta-love between Roderick and Fanny. My rating: 3 Stars.
December 30, 2013
I had read some of the stories in this collection a few years back, when I was doing my initial Mary Balogh "glom" and reading everything of hers that I could lay my hands (and money) on. Returned to it a few days ago for some Christmas cheer and warmth - there was a huge power outage in my area - and I must admit, it mostly fit the bill very well. The stories are tied together with a theme of music.
Mary Balogh's story is about a lonely music lover who has an annual concert during the Christmas season and comes upon a young boy with a stunningly beautiful voice in a group of carollers. The music lover wants the boy to sing at his concert, but discovers that the boy's mother is even more beguiling than the boy's voice - 4 stars.
Edith Layton's story was more affecting the first time I read it. It has a cute premise, about a magical mechanical music box bird that plays your favourite song if you wind it up just right and have the right attitude towards it. Unfortunately, the characters who come in contact with the bird are mostly unappealing, especially on the second reading. 3 stars.
Elisabeth Fairchild's story about a reclusive lord who has been jilted at the altar and a governess who brings him out of his shell with some kindness and some teaching of how to play handbells for a Christmas service is pretty good. The best parts in that story are the ones where the handbells and church bells of all sizes are being practised and played. 3 stars.
Anne Barbour's story was an OK variation on the Cinderella theme, but the characters didn't really come alive for me - 2 stars.
The best story in the book is Carla Kelly's, about a widower with 2 young children who meets the widow of a neighbour's lately deceased ne'er-do-well son. The characterization of the widower as a fine man and effective leader, but bumblingly shy and out of his element with women was note-perfect, and the scenes with the choir that the hero is trying to assemble for a Christmas concert are hilarious and spot-on true. 5 stars.
Mary Balogh's story is about a lonely music lover who has an annual concert during the Christmas season and comes upon a young boy with a stunningly beautiful voice in a group of carollers. The music lover wants the boy to sing at his concert, but discovers that the boy's mother is even more beguiling than the boy's voice - 4 stars.
Edith Layton's story was more affecting the first time I read it. It has a cute premise, about a magical mechanical music box bird that plays your favourite song if you wind it up just right and have the right attitude towards it. Unfortunately, the characters who come in contact with the bird are mostly unappealing, especially on the second reading. 3 stars.
Elisabeth Fairchild's story about a reclusive lord who has been jilted at the altar and a governess who brings him out of his shell with some kindness and some teaching of how to play handbells for a Christmas service is pretty good. The best parts in that story are the ones where the handbells and church bells of all sizes are being practised and played. 3 stars.
Anne Barbour's story was an OK variation on the Cinderella theme, but the characters didn't really come alive for me - 2 stars.
The best story in the book is Carla Kelly's, about a widower with 2 young children who meets the widow of a neighbour's lately deceased ne'er-do-well son. The characterization of the widower as a fine man and effective leader, but bumblingly shy and out of his element with women was note-perfect, and the scenes with the choir that the hero is trying to assemble for a Christmas concert are hilarious and spot-on true. 5 stars.
December 22, 2013
Especially enjoyed Mary Balogh's 'The Bond Street Carolers' and Carla Kelly's 'Make a Joyful Noise'.
August 22, 2019
The Bond Street Carolers - Simply heart-melting!
December 31, 2017
Regency set Christmas themed stories featuring precious moppets and cynical heroes (and one super nerdy farmer hero).
In The Bond Street Carolers by Mary Balough, the jaded Roderick Ames, Baron Heath discovers a child with the voice of an angel. He wants young Matthew Berlinton to sing at his Christmas party but first Roderick has to get past Matthew's widowed mother and charming baby sister.
Meh. I'm not fond of overly precious children. Katie was too insightful for a 4-year-old and just too twee for me. Matthew was more normal for a child his age and passionate about music. I liked him better. Fanny is in a tough spot. I felt sad for her and wanted her to find happiness for her and her children-just not with the hero. Roderick is rakish and cynical. I didn't like his feelings too much and the character development felt forced and happened too easily.
Heat rating: Mild heat
The second story The Earl's Nightingale by Edith Layton is a bit different. The main character is an object- a beautiful, gilded and bejeweled bird in a cage music box- a bequest from the impoverished heroine's grandmother. Eliza pawns the treasure to make a merry Christmas for her mother and younger brother, believing she can get it back. When the hero, Frauncis, Earl of Elliot, sees the golden cage, he knows it will make the best impersonal gift for his spoiled girlfriend with whom he refuses to make a commitment. Lady Georgina is expecting a marriage proposal and not a music box! When Eliza goes back for her music box and discovers it missing, she runs into Elliott and he promises the lovely Eliza he'll get it back. He'll say anything if only he can make her his latest mistress! Can he get the trinket back in time for Christmas and please Eliza? Will his suit be successful?
Another rakish, cynical hero. I hated Frauncis. He was cruel to all the women in the book: his mistress, his girlfriend, Eliza. He uses people and always gets what he wants. I hate supercilious aristocrat heroes. Eliza is lovely and kind. She's not too perfect and not too naive. She deserves better than Frauncis and his improper intentions. Her mother is an admirable character-strong in the face of adversity and wise to the ways of men. Lady Georgina is an awful, spoiled brat of the worst sort but yet I do sort of feel bad for her because Frauncis was flirting without intentions. Her maid is not admirable but I feel that she did what she had to do to survive in a cruel world.
Heat rating: Mild heat
The Mistletoe Kiss or Yuletide Bells by Elisabeth Fairchild takes place over the Christmas season. The widowed Mrs. Conyngham and her three young charges go "gooding" on Dec. 21 to bless the master of a neighboring estate - a wicked man who has a reputation for being a devil. Little Lilybelle Leland thinks she can bring the man some good and chase the devil away. Will the cynical Lord Lucian Deleval be charmed or chase the females away?
This is a long and interesting story. It's a sort of take on Beauty and the Beast. It features more precious moppets I could have done without. I liked the story of Lucian and Constance coming together to heal their wounded hearts. I didn't understand how one event could turn Lucian into such a devil. Sure his pride was wounded but get over it! Constance has greater reason to feel hurt and sad and angry at the world. I love how this story features an intelligent, wise heroine. I also loved the Christmas customs, many of which are new to me. The story balances romance, brooding and humor nicely.
heat rating: Subtle sensuality/suggestive dialogue
Make a Joyful Noise by Carla Kelly is perfect for Christian fiction lovers. It features a widowed hero who is happily raising his not too precocious children on his estate. He gave up life as a soldier for farming and spends his days working hard and nights with his beloved children. His Mama lives with him to help out with the two children. Months before Christmas, she opens her mouth and asks the vicar about the Christmas choir, a friendly competition between local parishes. Lady Wythe knows full well the local parish choir is terrible! When she's called away, her son Peter is forced to recruit for the choir. He has his sights set on a stranger he sees walking every day. She sang like an angel in church and smiled on him (or his son). The only problem is she seems to be a poor relation of the one family in the district his family does not call on! Will he get his Christmas angel to sing in the choir?
This is my favorite story in the collection. It features a nerdy farmer hero who loves his children very much! His wife was awful but at least he got two sweet and loving children from his short marriage. Will is like him in every way and shaping up to be a fine young man. I liked how inquisitive and intuitive he was. Emma, an independent 6 - year-old, refrains from being too precious. She's curious and lively but acts like a normal child. Both children felt very real. The heroine, Rosie, is great. She's tough because she's been through a lot but she's kind and caring. I felt so awful for her to be stuck with such terrible, heartless people. However, I probably wouldn't believe her story either, especially as she is pregnant. The romance is very sweet. The characters actually get to know each other and fall in love. It feels somewhat more realistic than the other stories.
heat rating: Kisses only. The hero is too proud/busy/shy to visit a "doxy."
The last story Melody by Anne Barbour features an American hero, Joshua Weston, of Philadelphia and lately the backwoods of Pennsylvania. He has come to England to take his place as Earl of Sandborne, a position he never knew he was in line for and does not want. As soon as he determines whether his estates are being taken care of properly and the family is well, he will return to America. He never expects to find a friend in his Aunt Helen's companion, Melody. She sings like an angel and her harp playing is divine. She awakens a long dormant passion for music inside Josh. Melody never expected to find a friend in the strange American Earl. She's too plain and ugly to find love and must work as a companion. Josh encourages her love of music and awakens lost dreams and passions.
I liked this story second best of them all. I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars mainly because the timeline is short and the misunderstanding stupid. I liked the characters a lot. Josh is a bit gruff at first but he tries to protect himself in an unknown situation. He's on the defensive at first. He opens up to Melody too quickly to be realistic but once I got to know him, I liked him. Melody seems like the perfect gentlewoman but she has some spunk to her. I liked her exchange with Josh and I would have replied "Because I'm a woman- an impoverished woman in a world that doesn't award me the same privileges given to your sex and your station!" That would have made the story better. I liked the family for the most part. They're a bit eccentric and a bit traditional. I'm not sure I'd want to live with them but they're a realistic sort of family. The story doesn't have much to do with Christmas except for the season it's set.
heat rating: Subtly sensual
In The Bond Street Carolers by Mary Balough, the jaded Roderick Ames, Baron Heath discovers a child with the voice of an angel. He wants young Matthew Berlinton to sing at his Christmas party but first Roderick has to get past Matthew's widowed mother and charming baby sister.
Meh. I'm not fond of overly precious children. Katie was too insightful for a 4-year-old and just too twee for me. Matthew was more normal for a child his age and passionate about music. I liked him better. Fanny is in a tough spot. I felt sad for her and wanted her to find happiness for her and her children-just not with the hero. Roderick is rakish and cynical. I didn't like his feelings too much and the character development felt forced and happened too easily.
Heat rating: Mild heat
The second story The Earl's Nightingale by Edith Layton is a bit different. The main character is an object- a beautiful, gilded and bejeweled bird in a cage music box- a bequest from the impoverished heroine's grandmother. Eliza pawns the treasure to make a merry Christmas for her mother and younger brother, believing she can get it back. When the hero, Frauncis, Earl of Elliot, sees the golden cage, he knows it will make the best impersonal gift for his spoiled girlfriend with whom he refuses to make a commitment. Lady Georgina is expecting a marriage proposal and not a music box! When Eliza goes back for her music box and discovers it missing, she runs into Elliott and he promises the lovely Eliza he'll get it back. He'll say anything if only he can make her his latest mistress! Can he get the trinket back in time for Christmas and please Eliza? Will his suit be successful?
Another rakish, cynical hero. I hated Frauncis. He was cruel to all the women in the book: his mistress, his girlfriend, Eliza. He uses people and always gets what he wants. I hate supercilious aristocrat heroes. Eliza is lovely and kind. She's not too perfect and not too naive. She deserves better than Frauncis and his improper intentions. Her mother is an admirable character-strong in the face of adversity and wise to the ways of men. Lady Georgina is an awful, spoiled brat of the worst sort but yet I do sort of feel bad for her because Frauncis was flirting without intentions. Her maid is not admirable but I feel that she did what she had to do to survive in a cruel world.
Heat rating: Mild heat
The Mistletoe Kiss or Yuletide Bells by Elisabeth Fairchild takes place over the Christmas season. The widowed Mrs. Conyngham and her three young charges go "gooding" on Dec. 21 to bless the master of a neighboring estate - a wicked man who has a reputation for being a devil. Little Lilybelle Leland thinks she can bring the man some good and chase the devil away. Will the cynical Lord Lucian Deleval be charmed or chase the females away?
This is a long and interesting story. It's a sort of take on Beauty and the Beast. It features more precious moppets I could have done without. I liked the story of Lucian and Constance coming together to heal their wounded hearts. I didn't understand how one event could turn Lucian into such a devil. Sure his pride was wounded but get over it! Constance has greater reason to feel hurt and sad and angry at the world. I love how this story features an intelligent, wise heroine. I also loved the Christmas customs, many of which are new to me. The story balances romance, brooding and humor nicely.
heat rating: Subtle sensuality/suggestive dialogue
Make a Joyful Noise by Carla Kelly is perfect for Christian fiction lovers. It features a widowed hero who is happily raising his not too precocious children on his estate. He gave up life as a soldier for farming and spends his days working hard and nights with his beloved children. His Mama lives with him to help out with the two children. Months before Christmas, she opens her mouth and asks the vicar about the Christmas choir, a friendly competition between local parishes. Lady Wythe knows full well the local parish choir is terrible! When she's called away, her son Peter is forced to recruit for the choir. He has his sights set on a stranger he sees walking every day. She sang like an angel in church and smiled on him (or his son). The only problem is she seems to be a poor relation of the one family in the district his family does not call on! Will he get his Christmas angel to sing in the choir?
This is my favorite story in the collection. It features a nerdy farmer hero who loves his children very much! His wife was awful but at least he got two sweet and loving children from his short marriage. Will is like him in every way and shaping up to be a fine young man. I liked how inquisitive and intuitive he was. Emma, an independent 6 - year-old, refrains from being too precious. She's curious and lively but acts like a normal child. Both children felt very real. The heroine, Rosie, is great. She's tough because she's been through a lot but she's kind and caring. I felt so awful for her to be stuck with such terrible, heartless people. However, I probably wouldn't believe her story either, especially as she is pregnant. The romance is very sweet. The characters actually get to know each other and fall in love. It feels somewhat more realistic than the other stories.
heat rating: Kisses only. The hero is too proud/busy/shy to visit a "doxy."
The last story Melody by Anne Barbour features an American hero, Joshua Weston, of Philadelphia and lately the backwoods of Pennsylvania. He has come to England to take his place as Earl of Sandborne, a position he never knew he was in line for and does not want. As soon as he determines whether his estates are being taken care of properly and the family is well, he will return to America. He never expects to find a friend in his Aunt Helen's companion, Melody. She sings like an angel and her harp playing is divine. She awakens a long dormant passion for music inside Josh. Melody never expected to find a friend in the strange American Earl. She's too plain and ugly to find love and must work as a companion. Josh encourages her love of music and awakens lost dreams and passions.
I liked this story second best of them all. I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars mainly because the timeline is short and the misunderstanding stupid. I liked the characters a lot. Josh is a bit gruff at first but he tries to protect himself in an unknown situation. He's on the defensive at first. He opens up to Melody too quickly to be realistic but once I got to know him, I liked him. Melody seems like the perfect gentlewoman but she has some spunk to her. I liked her exchange with Josh and I would have replied "Because I'm a woman- an impoverished woman in a world that doesn't award me the same privileges given to your sex and your station!" That would have made the story better. I liked the family for the most part. They're a bit eccentric and a bit traditional. I'm not sure I'd want to live with them but they're a realistic sort of family. The story doesn't have much to do with Christmas except for the season it's set.
heat rating: Subtly sensual
April 10, 2020
Two reasons I've bought this book: I love the cover (Signet Regency Covers are so cute most of the times) and Carla Kelly.
To be honest, the other 4 stories were ok-ish:
- "The Bond Street Carolers", by Mary Balogh: A London street choir brings together a nobleman who dislikes Christmas with a pretty widow who can melt his icy heart. I liked the love story between the Baron and the widow's children more than I liked the romance. I think the romance was not too convincing, and I certainly disliked that this wasn't a very clean romance because the cover indicates the opposite. The baron was too rakish for my liking.
- "The Earl's Nightingale" by Edith Layton: A lovely heroine pawns a music box, and begins an odyssey that takes her to a handsome earl's parlor... and into his heart. This was good but still not what I was looking for. The earl was another rake, an ass towards his mistress, his maybe-girlfriend and with women in general. But of course he changes "when he falls in love". Romance was meh but I liked the heroine and the other side stories, all related to the music box.
- "The Mistletoe Kiss", by Elisabeth Fairchild: The celebration of the Yuletide season helps a grieving governess to discover that Christmas can bring new hopes, new dreams, and perhaps even a new love. One of the two forgettable stories. It was nice but that's it. I can't even remember how the story ends... **checks book** oh yes, it was a cute story and at least the Lord was a good hero.
- "Make a Joyful Noise" by Carla Kelly In this joyful tale, a widower discovers an enchanting surprise in the Christmas choir: a mysterious Welsh lady. This beautiful story is also in Carla Kelly's Christmas Collection I loved it, I don't mind reading and re-reading this story; I just wanted both characters to be happily ever after
The romance was sweet and believable.
- - "Melody", by Anne Barbour: An American finds himself in an English Village, where a singer with the voice of an angel helps him find not only his tie with the past -but a future filled with love. Ehh, fine I guess. I know Americans are or were less strict with formalities, but it was weird to read all the addressing with the first name instead of the title or last name. And the romance felt too rushed. The other story that is forgettable.. nice, but forgettable.
The cover is soo cute <3 I may purchase another Regency Christmas book, it is nice to read works from other unknown authors (for me) but it has to have at least one story from Carla Kelly.
To be honest, the other 4 stories were ok-ish:
- "The Bond Street Carolers", by Mary Balogh: A London street choir brings together a nobleman who dislikes Christmas with a pretty widow who can melt his icy heart. I liked the love story between the Baron and the widow's children more than I liked the romance. I think the romance was not too convincing, and I certainly disliked that this wasn't a very clean romance because the cover indicates the opposite. The baron was too rakish for my liking.
- "The Earl's Nightingale" by Edith Layton: A lovely heroine pawns a music box, and begins an odyssey that takes her to a handsome earl's parlor... and into his heart. This was good but still not what I was looking for. The earl was another rake, an ass towards his mistress, his maybe-girlfriend and with women in general. But of course he changes "when he falls in love". Romance was meh but I liked the heroine and the other side stories, all related to the music box.
- "The Mistletoe Kiss", by Elisabeth Fairchild: The celebration of the Yuletide season helps a grieving governess to discover that Christmas can bring new hopes, new dreams, and perhaps even a new love. One of the two forgettable stories. It was nice but that's it. I can't even remember how the story ends... **checks book** oh yes, it was a cute story and at least the Lord was a good hero.
- "Make a Joyful Noise" by Carla Kelly In this joyful tale, a widower discovers an enchanting surprise in the Christmas choir: a mysterious Welsh lady. This beautiful story is also in Carla Kelly's Christmas Collection I loved it, I don't mind reading and re-reading this story; I just wanted both characters to be happily ever after
The romance was sweet and believable.- - "Melody", by Anne Barbour: An American finds himself in an English Village, where a singer with the voice of an angel helps him find not only his tie with the past -but a future filled with love. Ehh, fine I guess. I know Americans are or were less strict with formalities, but it was weird to read all the addressing with the first name instead of the title or last name. And the romance felt too rushed. The other story that is forgettable.. nice, but forgettable.
The cover is soo cute <3 I may purchase another Regency Christmas book, it is nice to read works from other unknown authors (for me) but it has to have at least one story from Carla Kelly.
December 29, 2008
Hark, the herald angels sing as five of Signet's favorite Regency authors bring you a melodious collection of stories to make the season even brighter. Lush with the magic of the holiday, the stories in this Christmas Regency collection capture the true spirit of this special time of year--the giving and receiving of love. This exquisite treasury will warm you with Yuletide cheer and makes the perfect gift for you and your loved ones.
Mary Balogh – The Bond Street Carolers
A moving story where music and children bring two lonely adults together. Balogh is very good at creating believable character s in short story format and this one is no exception. Lord Heath doesn’t like Christmas ort children but he does love music and upon meeting a young singer he can’t help being attracted to his mother.
Grade: 4.5/5
Edith Layton – The Earl’s Nightingale
Another lovely story with a hint of magic. A young woman pawns a cage as she needs money for an emergency but plans to get it back. When she goes back she discovers it has already been sold and as she approaches the buyer they start a quest for the cage and fall in love in the mean time. A fairy tale like ending for this one.
Grade: 4/5
Elizabeth Fairchild – Mistletoe Kiss
A governess and her charges go visit a man known as the Devil to bring him some happiness and succeed in making a lonely man seek other people. I thought his devilish side was a bit overdone making is a darker story than the others but it was nice to watch their interaction with the children and his final dialogue trying to convince her to love him.
Grade: 3.5/5
Carla Kelly – Make a Joyful Noise
I’m starting to think Carla Kelly works better for me in short story format. Charged by his mother to form the Christmas choir Lord Wythe finds a new singer in the Wetherby’s poor relation, Rosie. Rosie is a widow, is pregnant and soon will have no house to live in but Lord Wythe won’t let that happen. As usual it’s the hero who has center stage.
Grade: 4/5
Anne Barbour – Melody
Lovely story, an American who finds himself an English earl and is emotionally wounded meet a young ladies companion who is physically damaged by a facial scar and they both heal each other forming a special connection through music.
Grade: 4.5/5
Anthology grade: 4/5
Mary Balogh – The Bond Street Carolers
A moving story where music and children bring two lonely adults together. Balogh is very good at creating believable character s in short story format and this one is no exception. Lord Heath doesn’t like Christmas ort children but he does love music and upon meeting a young singer he can’t help being attracted to his mother.
Grade: 4.5/5
Edith Layton – The Earl’s Nightingale
Another lovely story with a hint of magic. A young woman pawns a cage as she needs money for an emergency but plans to get it back. When she goes back she discovers it has already been sold and as she approaches the buyer they start a quest for the cage and fall in love in the mean time. A fairy tale like ending for this one.
Grade: 4/5
Elizabeth Fairchild – Mistletoe Kiss
A governess and her charges go visit a man known as the Devil to bring him some happiness and succeed in making a lonely man seek other people. I thought his devilish side was a bit overdone making is a darker story than the others but it was nice to watch their interaction with the children and his final dialogue trying to convince her to love him.
Grade: 3.5/5
Carla Kelly – Make a Joyful Noise
I’m starting to think Carla Kelly works better for me in short story format. Charged by his mother to form the Christmas choir Lord Wythe finds a new singer in the Wetherby’s poor relation, Rosie. Rosie is a widow, is pregnant and soon will have no house to live in but Lord Wythe won’t let that happen. As usual it’s the hero who has center stage.
Grade: 4/5
Anne Barbour – Melody
Lovely story, an American who finds himself an English earl and is emotionally wounded meet a young ladies companion who is physically damaged by a facial scar and they both heal each other forming a special connection through music.
Grade: 4.5/5
Anthology grade: 4/5
December 8, 2025
Why can't Mary Balogh put out a Christmas book with just her stories. They are always the best. One of the problems with buying a Mary Balogh Christmas anthology is is that one starts to run across the same stories.
I read this book every Christmas and I up at a star every Christmas because except for the one story they are all so good.
I read this book every Christmas and I up at a star every Christmas because except for the one story they are all so good.
December 28, 2024
Mary Balogh - The Bond Street Carolers 5*
Edith Layton - The Earl's Nightingale 3.5*
Elisabeth Fairchild - The Mistletoe Kiss 3*
Carla Kelly - Make a Joyful Noise 4*
Anne Barbour - Melody 3*
Edith Layton - The Earl's Nightingale 3.5*
Elisabeth Fairchild - The Mistletoe Kiss 3*
Carla Kelly - Make a Joyful Noise 4*
Anne Barbour - Melody 3*
January 12, 2025
Five Christmas novellas with a musical theme make up this anthology, opening with Mary Balough’s ‘The Bond Street Carollers’. This is my second favourite of the five.
Roderick starts out as a cynic with no fondness for company or Christmas. This begins to change when he hears young Matthew singing solo in the street alongside his fellow carollers. Roderick’s nature changes further when meeting Matthew’s mother Fanny.
The plot revolves around Roderick wanting to include Matthew in a Christmas concert, which naturally brings him closer to Fanny.
The most engaging part of this story was Roderick’s interaction with Fanny’s four-year-old daughter Katie. I love their first meeting when Katie, having seen Roderick admiring her brother’s singing, wanders over, tugs on his coat, and tells him her name. Roderick stares at her through a monocle, stating, ‘Is it, indeed?’ to which Katie, a little disheartened with his severe reply, states, ‘Yes, it is.’ I found this amusing and sweet.
All my favourite scenes in this novella feature Roderick and Katie. I love the contrast between this tall and cynical man who ordinarily has no patience with children, and the adorable little girl who isn’t scared to approach him and wishes he could become her papa on Christmas Day.
While I liked the story in the most part, some of the style elements were annoying. The beginning was meandering and unengaging to the point that I almost stopped reading. Long-winded explanation and static description at the start of a story is not the best way to hook the reader and make them want to continue. Luckily, some action and dialogue finally surface when Roderick stops to hear Matthew sing and Katie introduces herself.
A pet hate of mine is the overuse of ‘had’ in the past perfect. One six-line paragraph features ‘had’ eight times. A little revision could’ve removed most, if not all. When an author frequently states, ‘He had done this, she had done that,’ they’re reporting on events rather than taking the reader through the action as it unfolds. This makes for passive reading.
All five stories feature their share of passive prose similar to the above, along with too many adverbs, ‘telling’ instead of ‘showing’, using reported speech, and starting sentences with the passive ‘There were/was’.
Despite the above criticisms, ‘The Bond Street Carollers’ is an enjoyable story. Out of the five, it captures the spirit of Christmas the most.
Edith Layton’s ‘The Earl's Nightingale’ is the second story. For me, this was the weakest because it has lots of ‘telling’ instead of ‘showing’, plus it substitutes ‘Christmas’ for ‘holiday’ several times – I detest the modern habit of people saying ‘Happy Holidays’ or referring to Christmas as ‘the holiday’. It’s an expression that’s thankfully rare in England, and I may be wrong with me not having read heavily on the Regency period, but I can’t imagine anyone in nineteenth-century England referring to Christmas as ‘the holiday’. I’d never heard the term at all until this century. I gathered in some instances that the author was avoiding repeating ‘Christmas’, as in one short paragraph ‘Christmas’ is used three times, as is ‘the holiday’, but a bit of imagination and revision could’ve resolved this.
As for the story, I like the premise of a special birdcage that frequently changes ownership and how it affects several characters. It’s not a bad story in itself, but because of the persistent ‘telling’, it didn’t impress me as much as it could’ve if events were ‘shown’.
Elisabeth Fairchild’s ‘The Mistletoe Kiss’ is the third story. Like the previous tales, it’s spoiled at times with ‘telling’. For example, the likes of ‘Contance was surprised’ could easily have been ‘shown’.
Despite this, I did enjoy this tale. I’m often drawn to stories about governesses. This governess meets a moody earl who’s unpopular with the villagers. A cute little girl in the governess’s charge is the first person to draw the miserable man out of the shadows when they visit him.
When the governess takes an interest in him, he soon comes out of the doldrums. The see each other when a new bell-ringer is needed for Christmas. He offers to help, so she teaches him, and things develop from there.
A good story and relatable characters.
Up fourth is Carla Kelly’s ‘Make a Joyful Noise’. I liked this one a lot. A widower takes a shine to a widow. He has children and a mother to love him; she has in-laws who don’t want her living with them.
He admires her but is weary to approach her until the opportunity arises that gives him a genuine reason to seek her out, namely that his mother is called away, leaving him in charge of the Christmas choir, which is in dire need of a soprano, and as luck would have it, the lonely widow has a perfect voice.
His son and daughter also take a shine to the widow, as she does to them.
An engaging story throughout. Arguably the best of the five stories.
Anne Barbour’s ‘Melody’ is about an American man who inherits an earldom and returns to England to see his estate with no intention of staying long. He didn’t count on meeting Melody, though, who’s a companion to one of his female relatives.
It’s a pleasant enough story with believable characters and I liked it in the most part.
I was, however, distracted at times by annoying adverbs. Adverbs ‘tell’, and in most cases can be cut or replaced with a strong verb. For example, ‘She lifted her brows questioningly’ highlights how some adverbs make a sentence clunky, and in this case, the context and the action of brow raising ‘shows’ the reader that the character is questioning, rendering the adverb superfluous.
The story also has several instances of a character gasping. This has a melodramatic effect, along with being unrealistic. It’s rare to hear someone gasp in everyday circumstances – I’ve never heard anyone gasp at surprising or unusual events. People catch their breath. They only gasp in severe circumstance, like after being doused in freezing water, or after staying under water too long, and so on.
Gasping and adverbs aside, this final novella was a good read.
In the most part, I enjoyed this collection. It’s good December reading.
Took me longer to finish than expected as I was reading it online via the Internet Archive’s Open Library and, on multiple occasions, I’d visit the site to find someone else was borrowing the book. Anyway, you can find it on their if you want to read it for free.
Roderick starts out as a cynic with no fondness for company or Christmas. This begins to change when he hears young Matthew singing solo in the street alongside his fellow carollers. Roderick’s nature changes further when meeting Matthew’s mother Fanny.
The plot revolves around Roderick wanting to include Matthew in a Christmas concert, which naturally brings him closer to Fanny.
The most engaging part of this story was Roderick’s interaction with Fanny’s four-year-old daughter Katie. I love their first meeting when Katie, having seen Roderick admiring her brother’s singing, wanders over, tugs on his coat, and tells him her name. Roderick stares at her through a monocle, stating, ‘Is it, indeed?’ to which Katie, a little disheartened with his severe reply, states, ‘Yes, it is.’ I found this amusing and sweet.
All my favourite scenes in this novella feature Roderick and Katie. I love the contrast between this tall and cynical man who ordinarily has no patience with children, and the adorable little girl who isn’t scared to approach him and wishes he could become her papa on Christmas Day.
While I liked the story in the most part, some of the style elements were annoying. The beginning was meandering and unengaging to the point that I almost stopped reading. Long-winded explanation and static description at the start of a story is not the best way to hook the reader and make them want to continue. Luckily, some action and dialogue finally surface when Roderick stops to hear Matthew sing and Katie introduces herself.
A pet hate of mine is the overuse of ‘had’ in the past perfect. One six-line paragraph features ‘had’ eight times. A little revision could’ve removed most, if not all. When an author frequently states, ‘He had done this, she had done that,’ they’re reporting on events rather than taking the reader through the action as it unfolds. This makes for passive reading.
All five stories feature their share of passive prose similar to the above, along with too many adverbs, ‘telling’ instead of ‘showing’, using reported speech, and starting sentences with the passive ‘There were/was’.
Despite the above criticisms, ‘The Bond Street Carollers’ is an enjoyable story. Out of the five, it captures the spirit of Christmas the most.
Edith Layton’s ‘The Earl's Nightingale’ is the second story. For me, this was the weakest because it has lots of ‘telling’ instead of ‘showing’, plus it substitutes ‘Christmas’ for ‘holiday’ several times – I detest the modern habit of people saying ‘Happy Holidays’ or referring to Christmas as ‘the holiday’. It’s an expression that’s thankfully rare in England, and I may be wrong with me not having read heavily on the Regency period, but I can’t imagine anyone in nineteenth-century England referring to Christmas as ‘the holiday’. I’d never heard the term at all until this century. I gathered in some instances that the author was avoiding repeating ‘Christmas’, as in one short paragraph ‘Christmas’ is used three times, as is ‘the holiday’, but a bit of imagination and revision could’ve resolved this.
As for the story, I like the premise of a special birdcage that frequently changes ownership and how it affects several characters. It’s not a bad story in itself, but because of the persistent ‘telling’, it didn’t impress me as much as it could’ve if events were ‘shown’.
Elisabeth Fairchild’s ‘The Mistletoe Kiss’ is the third story. Like the previous tales, it’s spoiled at times with ‘telling’. For example, the likes of ‘Contance was surprised’ could easily have been ‘shown’.
Despite this, I did enjoy this tale. I’m often drawn to stories about governesses. This governess meets a moody earl who’s unpopular with the villagers. A cute little girl in the governess’s charge is the first person to draw the miserable man out of the shadows when they visit him.
When the governess takes an interest in him, he soon comes out of the doldrums. The see each other when a new bell-ringer is needed for Christmas. He offers to help, so she teaches him, and things develop from there.
A good story and relatable characters.
Up fourth is Carla Kelly’s ‘Make a Joyful Noise’. I liked this one a lot. A widower takes a shine to a widow. He has children and a mother to love him; she has in-laws who don’t want her living with them.
He admires her but is weary to approach her until the opportunity arises that gives him a genuine reason to seek her out, namely that his mother is called away, leaving him in charge of the Christmas choir, which is in dire need of a soprano, and as luck would have it, the lonely widow has a perfect voice.
His son and daughter also take a shine to the widow, as she does to them.
An engaging story throughout. Arguably the best of the five stories.
Anne Barbour’s ‘Melody’ is about an American man who inherits an earldom and returns to England to see his estate with no intention of staying long. He didn’t count on meeting Melody, though, who’s a companion to one of his female relatives.
It’s a pleasant enough story with believable characters and I liked it in the most part.
I was, however, distracted at times by annoying adverbs. Adverbs ‘tell’, and in most cases can be cut or replaced with a strong verb. For example, ‘She lifted her brows questioningly’ highlights how some adverbs make a sentence clunky, and in this case, the context and the action of brow raising ‘shows’ the reader that the character is questioning, rendering the adverb superfluous.
The story also has several instances of a character gasping. This has a melodramatic effect, along with being unrealistic. It’s rare to hear someone gasp in everyday circumstances – I’ve never heard anyone gasp at surprising or unusual events. People catch their breath. They only gasp in severe circumstance, like after being doused in freezing water, or after staying under water too long, and so on.
Gasping and adverbs aside, this final novella was a good read.
In the most part, I enjoyed this collection. It’s good December reading.
Took me longer to finish than expected as I was reading it online via the Internet Archive’s Open Library and, on multiple occasions, I’d visit the site to find someone else was borrowing the book. Anyway, you can find it on their if you want to read it for free.
January 4, 2013
Several years ago, I started a Christmas tradition for myself, and have been looking forward to it every time that beautiful season rolls around: reading Christmas romances, whether they are novels or short story anthologies. I especially enjoy reading Regency romances, since I am an ardent Anglophile, and love the period in which Jane Austen produced her masterpieces.
This particular collection contains stories by some of the best authors in the genre, and is a real gem! What makes it especially
wonderful is the fact that all of the stories revolve around music. Of course, music is central to the celebration of this, the most beautiful, joyous, time of year.
The first story is by one of my favorite writers in any genre -- the incomparable Mary Balogh. In "The Bond Street Carolers", she presents the sweet tale of Fanny Berlinton, a widow with two children, one of whom, Matthew, is a talented singer. He's part of a choir that sings on Bond Street, in London, during the Christmas season. Busy, handsome bachelor Roderick Ames, who is also Baron Heath, happens to be passing by when he hears Matthew's beautiful voice. Not particularly fond of Christmas, he had been looking forward to a holiday by himself, without the commotion caused by his numerous nieces, nephews, and young cousins. Everything changes, of course, when he encounters this young singer, and the singer's very attractive mother... This is a very beautiful, truly romantic tale that will touch any romance lover's heart!
The second story is no less enchanting than the first, especially because there's actually a bit of magic in it. Penned by another great Regency writer, the late Edith Layton, this story is titled "The Earl's Nightingale", and concerns a jeweled, mechanical bird in a golden cage, which, unbeknownst to the characters, sings the listener's favorite piece of music every time the music box is wound up. It's an heirloom from Eliza Dumont's grandmother. She's a young woman who lives with her mother on the fringes of the disreputable section of London. Her mother had been disowned by her aristocratic family because she had married beneath her, against their wishes. So Eliza has pawned the golden bird in hopes of raising some money for the upcoming holiday season. Eliza's grandmother had sent a letter, along with the bird, in which she stated that this bird would bring Eliza happiness. And so it does, since, because of the bird, Eliza meets and falls in love with Frauncis, the Earl of Elliott, and he with her...
Elisabeth Fairchild penned the third story, which is titled "The Mistletoe Kiss". The female protagonist, Constance Conyngham, is a governess as well as a widow, while the male protagonist, Lucian Deleval, is a wealthy earl who was dumped by his bride, while waiting for her at the altar. Lucian is, naturally, a very bitter person, and prefers the solitude of his castle, which has been given the name of "Devil's Keep", by the people of the neighboring town. Lucian is even said to be the devil himself. But all this changes when he meets the sweet widow Conyngham, who offers to teach him to become a bell-ringer for that year's Christmas Eve church service. In the process, the earl and the widowed governess will discover love, in a very compelling story with touches of Jane Eyre.
"Make a Joyful Noise", by Carla Kelly, which is the fourth story in this collection, deals with the dilemma encountered by St. Philemon's Church, which is not blessed with a talented Christmas choir. So, Louisa Chard, the Dowager Lady Wythe, has volunteered to help the vicar to find great singers for the choir, which participates in an annual Christmas singing competition with other parish choirs in the area. But alas, Lady Wythe is suddenly called away to help her daughter nurse her sick children, so her son Peter takes it upon himself to look for singers. Thus it is that he accidentally discovers a very talented soprano -- Rosie Weatherby, who is the third widow in this collection. She has no choice but to live with her in-laws, who have nothing but contempt for her. Peter Chard, however, comes to appreciate her not only as a great singer, but as a gentle, sweet-tempered woman who will gradually steal his heart... This story is another winner! I especially loved Emma and Will, who are Chard's children.
I love the simple title of the fifth and last story in this volume -- "Melody", written by Anne Barbour. The title not only refers to music, but is also the first name of the female protagonist, Melody Fairfax, who is a lady's companion. Her employer is the Dowager Lady Sandborne, a countess, who receives an unexpected visitor one afternoon -- the American Joshua Weston. It turns out that Weston has inherited the title of Earl of Sandborne, and has come to take a look at his vast estate. He fully intends to return to America once he has satisfied himself that everything is in order. But then he meets Melody, who has a beautiful voice (and is not a widow). Weston is a very talented pianist, and, of course, they make beautiful music together... Needless to say, this is another lovely Christmas tale! It's also interesting how the two cultures -- American and English -- are contrasted throughout the story, with a very harmonious (pun intended!) blending of both in the end.
If you love this period in English history as much as I do, you will definitely enjoy this wonderful collection of stories! Aside from the historical setting, however, each of these holiday tales is a gem, sparkling with the true Christmas spirit! Each is beautifully written, with very well-handled characterizations. In fact, I would have loved to see each story expanded into a novel! I loved all the characters, the plots were cozy heartwarmers, and yet, none of the stories were overly sentimental. This book is a treasured member of my overflowing "book society" (my personal library), and I will most likely be reading it again during future Christmas seasons! I recommend it very highly for all of those who love the combination of Christmas and romance!!
This particular collection contains stories by some of the best authors in the genre, and is a real gem! What makes it especially
wonderful is the fact that all of the stories revolve around music. Of course, music is central to the celebration of this, the most beautiful, joyous, time of year.
The first story is by one of my favorite writers in any genre -- the incomparable Mary Balogh. In "The Bond Street Carolers", she presents the sweet tale of Fanny Berlinton, a widow with two children, one of whom, Matthew, is a talented singer. He's part of a choir that sings on Bond Street, in London, during the Christmas season. Busy, handsome bachelor Roderick Ames, who is also Baron Heath, happens to be passing by when he hears Matthew's beautiful voice. Not particularly fond of Christmas, he had been looking forward to a holiday by himself, without the commotion caused by his numerous nieces, nephews, and young cousins. Everything changes, of course, when he encounters this young singer, and the singer's very attractive mother... This is a very beautiful, truly romantic tale that will touch any romance lover's heart!
The second story is no less enchanting than the first, especially because there's actually a bit of magic in it. Penned by another great Regency writer, the late Edith Layton, this story is titled "The Earl's Nightingale", and concerns a jeweled, mechanical bird in a golden cage, which, unbeknownst to the characters, sings the listener's favorite piece of music every time the music box is wound up. It's an heirloom from Eliza Dumont's grandmother. She's a young woman who lives with her mother on the fringes of the disreputable section of London. Her mother had been disowned by her aristocratic family because she had married beneath her, against their wishes. So Eliza has pawned the golden bird in hopes of raising some money for the upcoming holiday season. Eliza's grandmother had sent a letter, along with the bird, in which she stated that this bird would bring Eliza happiness. And so it does, since, because of the bird, Eliza meets and falls in love with Frauncis, the Earl of Elliott, and he with her...
Elisabeth Fairchild penned the third story, which is titled "The Mistletoe Kiss". The female protagonist, Constance Conyngham, is a governess as well as a widow, while the male protagonist, Lucian Deleval, is a wealthy earl who was dumped by his bride, while waiting for her at the altar. Lucian is, naturally, a very bitter person, and prefers the solitude of his castle, which has been given the name of "Devil's Keep", by the people of the neighboring town. Lucian is even said to be the devil himself. But all this changes when he meets the sweet widow Conyngham, who offers to teach him to become a bell-ringer for that year's Christmas Eve church service. In the process, the earl and the widowed governess will discover love, in a very compelling story with touches of Jane Eyre.
"Make a Joyful Noise", by Carla Kelly, which is the fourth story in this collection, deals with the dilemma encountered by St. Philemon's Church, which is not blessed with a talented Christmas choir. So, Louisa Chard, the Dowager Lady Wythe, has volunteered to help the vicar to find great singers for the choir, which participates in an annual Christmas singing competition with other parish choirs in the area. But alas, Lady Wythe is suddenly called away to help her daughter nurse her sick children, so her son Peter takes it upon himself to look for singers. Thus it is that he accidentally discovers a very talented soprano -- Rosie Weatherby, who is the third widow in this collection. She has no choice but to live with her in-laws, who have nothing but contempt for her. Peter Chard, however, comes to appreciate her not only as a great singer, but as a gentle, sweet-tempered woman who will gradually steal his heart... This story is another winner! I especially loved Emma and Will, who are Chard's children.
I love the simple title of the fifth and last story in this volume -- "Melody", written by Anne Barbour. The title not only refers to music, but is also the first name of the female protagonist, Melody Fairfax, who is a lady's companion. Her employer is the Dowager Lady Sandborne, a countess, who receives an unexpected visitor one afternoon -- the American Joshua Weston. It turns out that Weston has inherited the title of Earl of Sandborne, and has come to take a look at his vast estate. He fully intends to return to America once he has satisfied himself that everything is in order. But then he meets Melody, who has a beautiful voice (and is not a widow). Weston is a very talented pianist, and, of course, they make beautiful music together... Needless to say, this is another lovely Christmas tale! It's also interesting how the two cultures -- American and English -- are contrasted throughout the story, with a very harmonious (pun intended!) blending of both in the end.
If you love this period in English history as much as I do, you will definitely enjoy this wonderful collection of stories! Aside from the historical setting, however, each of these holiday tales is a gem, sparkling with the true Christmas spirit! Each is beautifully written, with very well-handled characterizations. In fact, I would have loved to see each story expanded into a novel! I loved all the characters, the plots were cozy heartwarmers, and yet, none of the stories were overly sentimental. This book is a treasured member of my overflowing "book society" (my personal library), and I will most likely be reading it again during future Christmas seasons! I recommend it very highly for all of those who love the combination of Christmas and romance!!
December 9, 2024
I picked up the book because I usually like Mary Balogh’s writing, but The Bond Street Carolers was a disappointment: way too sappy for my taste. Make A Joyful Noise was just as bad if not worse. Melody was the only enjoyable novella. I could not read the other two entries as the copy I got has printing errors: The Earl’s Nightingale’s ending is missing, and The Mistletoe Kiss’s beginning is missing. Those don’t factor into my rating. Overall, a reluctant 3*.
November 7, 2025
Five moving and amazing Christmas stories set in Regency England. All five authors successfully portrayed the wonders and needs of a Christmas of that time. All of them have a musical theme, and you can almost hear the purity of the voices, the allure of Beethoven's music, and the different music sung by the little caged mechanical bird in The Earl's Nightingale. I'm not sure I could pick a favorite amongst the five stories. They were all that good!
May 24, 2019
I love these books and reread them often, esp at Christmas. This one has some good stories, not my MOST favorite ones, but enjoyable none the less. The authors can't be beat for great historical romance!
reprint
April 12, 2020Mary Balogh The Bond Street Carolers rereleased in ebook Christmas Mircles
Mary Balogh – The Bond Street Carolers
Edith Layton – The Earl’s Nightingale
Elizabeth Fairchild – Mistletoe Kiss
Carla Kelly – Make a Joyful Noise
Anne Barbour – Melody
Mary Balogh – The Bond Street Carolers
Edith Layton – The Earl’s Nightingale
Elizabeth Fairchild – Mistletoe Kiss
Carla Kelly – Make a Joyful Noise
Anne Barbour – Melody
March 24, 2023
Enjoyed most of them, but Mary Balogh is always a hit with me.
Read
December 5, 2023Make a Joyful Noise is contained in Carla Kelly’s Christmas Collection
April 18, 2024
3.5
I particularly enjoyed Fairchild’s and Kelly’s stories (and Balogh’s is a longtime favorite that I’ve already read more than once)
I particularly enjoyed Fairchild’s and Kelly’s stories (and Balogh’s is a longtime favorite that I’ve already read more than once)
April 3, 2020
Balogh - "The Bond Street Carolers"
June 16, 2019
The Bond Street Carolers (Mary Balogh)
Connoisseur of musical talent, Lord Heath, happened upon a group of carolers on Bond Street. He stopped mid-stride when the beautiful soprano voice of a young boy stirred the air in a solo. Wanting the youngster to sing at his winter concert, he immediately looked around for the child's parents. He found the boy's mother, Fanny Berlinton, who is not interested in offering her son as free entertainment for the ton. Four-year-old Katie Berlinton wants a new papa for Christmas. When Lord Heath responds to her, Katie sets her heart on him as her Christmas gift. This is a very special Christmas story.
The Earl's Nightingale (Edith Layton)
A young woman, faced with bills, pawns a musical bird. The bird was left to the young woman by her grandmother, who promised it will bring her happiness. When she goes back to retrieve the bird, it has been sold -- to the Earl of Elliott. The Earl promises to get the bird back, as he has given it to a girlfriend. Layton's surprise ending is lovely.
The Mistletoe Kiss (Elisabeth Fairchild)
It is five days before Christmas (St. Thomas' Day) and governess Mrs. Constance Conyngham takes her three students for 'a gooding.' They go to the 'Devil's Keep' and meet Lord Deleval. He has become a hermit of sorts; avoiding company and people in town. This is after he was left standing at the altar and his betrothed running away with a German.
Constance was married for less than 3 months and has been a penniless widow for 7 years. Constance and Lord Deleval are two wounded souls that meet by chance.
Make a Joyful Noise (Carla Kelly)
The annual Christmas choir competition between the churches of neighboring shires is drawing near. Although Dowager Lady Wythe was searching for singers in the parish, she was suddenly called away to Leeds to help with her ill grandchildren. Thus, she passes her job onto her son Peter, Lord Wythe. When he hears Rosie Wetherby's beautiful voice in church, he knows he must ask her to join the choir. This is a delightful story that I've re-read several times.
Melody (Anne Barbour)
An American, named Josh Weston, finding he is the new Earl of Sandborne, goes from Pennsylvania to Sandborne Court in England. His intention is to make sure his lands and tenants are well-tended and return to his life in America. Then he meets Melody Fairfax, companion to the dowager countess (and Josh's aunt), Aunt Helen. Melody has a beautiful voice and Josh used to play the piano so well that he could have become a concert pianist. However, he gave that up when his fiancee died three years earlier. Melody is disfigured by a scar along her face; Josh is disfigured internally by his feelings of never belonging. They help each other move beyond their scars.
Connoisseur of musical talent, Lord Heath, happened upon a group of carolers on Bond Street. He stopped mid-stride when the beautiful soprano voice of a young boy stirred the air in a solo. Wanting the youngster to sing at his winter concert, he immediately looked around for the child's parents. He found the boy's mother, Fanny Berlinton, who is not interested in offering her son as free entertainment for the ton. Four-year-old Katie Berlinton wants a new papa for Christmas. When Lord Heath responds to her, Katie sets her heart on him as her Christmas gift. This is a very special Christmas story.
The Earl's Nightingale (Edith Layton)
A young woman, faced with bills, pawns a musical bird. The bird was left to the young woman by her grandmother, who promised it will bring her happiness. When she goes back to retrieve the bird, it has been sold -- to the Earl of Elliott. The Earl promises to get the bird back, as he has given it to a girlfriend. Layton's surprise ending is lovely.
The Mistletoe Kiss (Elisabeth Fairchild)
It is five days before Christmas (St. Thomas' Day) and governess Mrs. Constance Conyngham takes her three students for 'a gooding.' They go to the 'Devil's Keep' and meet Lord Deleval. He has become a hermit of sorts; avoiding company and people in town. This is after he was left standing at the altar and his betrothed running away with a German.
Constance was married for less than 3 months and has been a penniless widow for 7 years. Constance and Lord Deleval are two wounded souls that meet by chance.
Make a Joyful Noise (Carla Kelly)
The annual Christmas choir competition between the churches of neighboring shires is drawing near. Although Dowager Lady Wythe was searching for singers in the parish, she was suddenly called away to Leeds to help with her ill grandchildren. Thus, she passes her job onto her son Peter, Lord Wythe. When he hears Rosie Wetherby's beautiful voice in church, he knows he must ask her to join the choir. This is a delightful story that I've re-read several times.
Melody (Anne Barbour)
An American, named Josh Weston, finding he is the new Earl of Sandborne, goes from Pennsylvania to Sandborne Court in England. His intention is to make sure his lands and tenants are well-tended and return to his life in America. Then he meets Melody Fairfax, companion to the dowager countess (and Josh's aunt), Aunt Helen. Melody has a beautiful voice and Josh used to play the piano so well that he could have become a concert pianist. However, he gave that up when his fiancee died three years earlier. Melody is disfigured by a scar along her face; Josh is disfigured internally by his feelings of never belonging. They help each other move beyond their scars.
October 24, 2016
This book begins my annual stack of Christmas reads that hopefully promises quiet by-the-fire holiday warmth… This one includes short stories by several authors. Overall 4 stars.
The Bond Street Carolers: 3 stars (Mary Balogh)
A young boy wit an angelic voice touches the heart of a lonely English lord as he sings with Christmas street carolers.
The Earls Nightingale: 2 stars (Edith Layton)
A young woman pawns an unusual music box that has a jeweled bird in a gold cage. Instead of keeping it the promised week, the temporary owner sells it. Her quest to find her treasure leads her to her own love.
The Mistletoe Kiss: 4 ½ stars (Elisabeth Fairchild)
I really liked this one! The village “devil man” is changed heart and soul by a sweet governess, her three little charges, some hand bells, and lots of kindness.
Make a Joyful Noise: 4 stars (Carla Kelly)
Wonderful story! Charged with pulling together the Christmas choir for the annual competition, a widower with two children finds more than just an amazing singer in a sad, pregnant widow and a group of Welsh builders. (I've read this before; definitely good enough to read again!)
Melody: 3 stars (Ann Barbour)
American Josh Weston comes to England to claim his inheritance of an estate. His arrival is warmed by a beautiful singing voice coming from the church.
The Bond Street Carolers: 3 stars (Mary Balogh)
A young boy wit an angelic voice touches the heart of a lonely English lord as he sings with Christmas street carolers.
The Earls Nightingale: 2 stars (Edith Layton)
A young woman pawns an unusual music box that has a jeweled bird in a gold cage. Instead of keeping it the promised week, the temporary owner sells it. Her quest to find her treasure leads her to her own love.
The Mistletoe Kiss: 4 ½ stars (Elisabeth Fairchild)
I really liked this one! The village “devil man” is changed heart and soul by a sweet governess, her three little charges, some hand bells, and lots of kindness.
Make a Joyful Noise: 4 stars (Carla Kelly)
Wonderful story! Charged with pulling together the Christmas choir for the annual competition, a widower with two children finds more than just an amazing singer in a sad, pregnant widow and a group of Welsh builders. (I've read this before; definitely good enough to read again!)
Melody: 3 stars (Ann Barbour)
American Josh Weston comes to England to claim his inheritance of an estate. His arrival is warmed by a beautiful singing voice coming from the church.
January 11, 2024
Story #1 DNF
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Story #2 DNF
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Story #3 DNF
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Story #4 – 5 stars
The only reason I obtained this book was for the Carla Kelly story and it did not disappoint!!This is my favorite Carla Kelly short story because of the strong male character. The heroine is almost a secondary character. The hero is such a courageous, honorable man - I could read this story and never tire of it.
In every Carla Kelly story there is always that one episode where the hero saves the heroine from a horrible fate and this story does not disappoint!!! Loved it!! I love how all of Carla Kelly's book are intertwined. These Welsh singers become very important in another book!!
BEST USE OF: People from Wales!!
ALPHA MALE 10
SPUNKY HEROINE 10
CUTE KID(s) 10
HEA(HAPPILY EVER AFTER) OH YES!!
PROLOGUE/EPILOGUE None
Rating System
10 - Perfect! -
Heat Level
0 No sex – none needed!! But lots of sexy thoughts and a future of sex scenes!!
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Story 5 - DNF
COVER COVERS IT: Covers it? No - just a plain Christmas cover
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Story #2 DNF
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Story #3 DNF
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Story #4 – 5 stars
The only reason I obtained this book was for the Carla Kelly story and it did not disappoint!!This is my favorite Carla Kelly short story because of the strong male character. The heroine is almost a secondary character. The hero is such a courageous, honorable man - I could read this story and never tire of it.
In every Carla Kelly story there is always that one episode where the hero saves the heroine from a horrible fate and this story does not disappoint!!! Loved it!! I love how all of Carla Kelly's book are intertwined. These Welsh singers become very important in another book!!
BEST USE OF: People from Wales!!
ALPHA MALE 10
SPUNKY HEROINE 10
CUTE KID(s) 10
HEA(HAPPILY EVER AFTER) OH YES!!
PROLOGUE/EPILOGUE None
Rating System
10 - Perfect! -
Heat Level
0 No sex – none needed!! But lots of sexy thoughts and a future of sex scenes!!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Story 5 - DNF
COVER COVERS IT: Covers it? No - just a plain Christmas cover
Read
April 2, 2020Hark, the herald angels sing as five of Signet's favorite Regency authors bring you a melodious collection of stories to make the season even brighter. Lush with the magic of the holiday, the stories in this Christmas Regency collection capture the true spirit of this special time of year--the giving and receiving of love. This exquisite treasury will warm you with Yuletide cheer and makes the perfect gift for you and your loved ones.
August 13, 2016
4.5 stars for Mary Balogh's selection - The Bond Street Carolers. I just love this story & read it every December.
I usually ignore the other stories but decided to re-read them for the first time in years. Unfortunately, the other stories just don't do it for me. I'll go back to just reading my favorite story of Lord Heath & Mrs. Berlinton finding love at Christmastime.
I usually ignore the other stories but decided to re-read them for the first time in years. Unfortunately, the other stories just don't do it for me. I'll go back to just reading my favorite story of Lord Heath & Mrs. Berlinton finding love at Christmastime.
December 20, 2010
The third and fourth stories were my favorite.
July 16, 2013
Rating 3.5 for: The Bond Street Carolers by Mary Balogh
April 3, 2014
All of these stories kinda read like cheesy but basically clean mini-romance novels. Entertaining I guess, but not really heart warming.
December 23, 2015
I only read Mary Balogh's story in this, and absolutely loved it!
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