An Enchanting Regency Christmas: Four Holiday Nvellas by Edith Layton - 3 stars

[Theresa]

My ebook TBR Towers produced two collections of Edith Layton's regency Christmas short stories, first published by Harlequin in its Christmas historical anthologies over the years. Layton's estate (she died of ovarian cancer a few years ago) seems to be re-issuing them annually in collections of 4 to 6 short stories. I am so pleased they are as these are beautifully constructed short stories, each presenting a complete and satisfying holiday story. Some I had read before and others were new to me. I believe there are sufficient of these stories remaining for at least one more collection.

In this Collection:

The Earl's Nightingale - a music box of a caged nightingale brings HEA to many during the holidays.
The Hounds of Heaven - adventures of another pup from the litter in The Dogstar story featured in It's a Wonderful Regency Christmas: Six Merry & Bright Holiday Novellas.
The Rake's Christmas - provides us with various explicit definitions and examples of a 'rake' during the Regency. And a successful bit of matchmaking from an unexpected source.
The Dark Man - a newly affianced couple have some difficulties on their way to their HEA - includes some delightful holiday lore from northern England, including an amusing version of the first foot in the New Year.

Many of the same themes overlap in these storeis, loneliness, loss, being misguided, learning what the heart really wants and needs. I had a delightful time reading them.