A Christmas Promise - Mary Balogh

THE BOUGHT BRIDEGROOM

Eleanor Transome found her father's wealth a dubious blessing, for he was determined that she wed a nobleman. Lord Randolph Falloden, on the brink of ruin, could not resist the lure of cold cash, despite his passionate alliances with several other desirable maidens. And though her heart belonged to the handsome, if humble, Mr. Wilfred Ellis, Eleanor would never deny her father's wishes. Thus the match was made--with love not part of the bargain--for the arrogant earl and the coal merchant's proud daughter. But in this season of unexpected gifts, a most remarkable surprise was in store for them both....

After reading A Christmas Bride how could I resist picking up another Christmas story. Especially one that has been OOP for so long but has now been reprinted. I really couldn't and I am really happy I read it. Once again Balogh grabs a familiar situation - an impoverished lord marrying a rich Cit's daughter - but manages to write very original characters and situations.

Eleanor Transome's father is dying. He wants’ to leave her under the protection of a husband and he chooses the Earl of Falloden as bridegroom. He buys the Earl's considerable debts and tells him that either he marries his daughter or he will demand immediate payment.

Falloden is disgusted with the arrangement but feels he has no other choice if he wants to save the family estate from being sold. To him Eleanor Transome is nothing but a greedy young woman after a place in society. To Eleanor he is nothing but a gambler and a womaniser but she feels she must respect her father's last wishes and marry him.

To say that the marriage started on the wrong foot is an understatement. They both distrust and despise the other and Eleanor's reserve prevents her from showing her true feelings about her father which Randolph mistakes for coldness. Their wedding night is an intense, poignant, scene where neither wants to show their feelings, in a way it is a fight between them and it must be one of the most different love scenes I've read in a while.

Randolph doesn't understand Eleanor's feelings or how some of her attitudes are dictated by her father's wishes. And she is quick to judge him and take offense and uses sarcasm and irony to attack him. But after Eleanor's father passes away they end up spending the Christmas season at Randolph estate, surrounded by some of his friends and her family, and slowly they start letting their guard down.

I did like Randolph very much. He was an honourable man, he had good intentions and after the first bitter moments of resentment for having been forced to marry he tried to turn their relationship into something good. But it was Eleanor that truly conquered me as a character. She was so passionate, so emotional inside but she kept it all locked up because of her pride and natural reserve. She believed the worst of Randolph and also that he must despise her for being who she was but she never gave up a fight and, in her own words, gave as good as she got.

It was only after she starts relaxing with her family and the tenants of Grenfell Park that we, and Randolph, have the chance to see how warm and affectionate she really was. One of things I like the most in Balogh's earlier titles is how much introspection we have, we know what the characters are thinking and feeling and we know why they do and say the things they do. Randolph and Eleanor's feelings do not develop overnight and even after that starts they do still quarrel which leads him to call her, affectionaly, an hedgehog. They will only be entirely honest and open on Christmas Day, when Randolph gives her the present her father had left for her.

I really loved reading about these two and their journey to love which, in the beginning, seems that it will take nothing short of a Christmas Miracle to achieve. My one complaint is a minor one, that so many secondary couples finding love is highly unlikely. But that is certainly a detail in the middle of this lovely, emotional story.

Grade: 5/5

A Christmas Bride - Mary Balogh

The Wrong Lady


At six-and-thirty, the very wealthy Edgar Downes had finally decided to take a bride. Although not to the manor born, Edgar had promised his aging father that he would wed a titled lady by Christmas. Edgar came to London to review a parade of eligible misses, all of them pretty, proper, and young enough to bear him a son. But it was the widow Lady Helena Stapleton, in a shocking red dress, who captured his undivided attention. He simply could not take his eyes from her. And as for Helena, she too felt a most disturbing frisson when she saw this seductive stranger.

An irresistible passion was soon sweeping them into a scandalous liaison. Marriage, of course, would never do. Helena was too old and altogether the wrong lady to marry; Helena thought Edgar simply not in her class. But in a season of unexpected miracles, something wondrous was about to happen... something that would change their minds and transform their hearts forever....

Is there anything better than to read one of Balogh's Christmas romances at Christmas time? I think not and this year the first one I read was A Christmas Bride

Lady Helena Stapleton was introduced in a previous book, A Precious Jewel, where she was the villain. Even if you haven't read that book Helena is not exactly a nice character when this story starts. She is cynical, bitter and doesn't trust anyone. She also doesn't seem to feel good about who she is.

Edgar Downes is the heir of a merchant family. His sister, Cora, married the younger son of a duke and he knows he is only received in polite society because of that connection. At thirty-six is father is urging him to marry and give him grandchildren and Edgar decides to spend a season in London looking for a bride.

When he and Helena see each other the attraction is there and Helena decides it's high time she takes a lover. That evening she manipulates Edgar to take her home and they do sleep together but her cold manner makes him leave without plans of seeing her again. In fact he starts to court another young lady but his natural kindness and moral values lead him to inquire about Helena's well being and when it is apparent that she is pregnant he feels that there is no alternative but to marry. Since the Christmas season is just starting and they were already planning a party at the Downes country home a Christmas wedding is decided.

It is not in every book that we see a heroine as tortured as Helena. She feels the need to punish herself for a past behaviour and she does that at every turn. Even wounding others so they don't get close to her. With Edgar however she is unable to that. Edgar is a wonderful hero, once he sets his course of action he is determined that he will do his best to have a good marriage. He tries to find a way to breach Helena's defenses and eventually he manages just that and learns what she did in the past.

I really enjoyed their interaction during those days after the wedding. With family and friends in attendance, Helena starts opening up a bit and Edgar feels he might have a chance to heal her if he manages to bring her together with those she hurt and especially if he gets her to forgive herself. Since this is the season for family, good will and forgiveness I thought this was the perfect theme for a Christmas story. Just lovely!

Grade: 4.5/5

Regency Christmas Wishes - Anthology

The Regency Christmas Wishes is my last entry for the Winter Holiday Reading Challenge. I found these short stories very pleasant reading material and I think this is my favourite Christmas Anthology for this year.

The Lucky Coin by Barbara Metzger

A funny story about a penniless gentleman who is offered a magic coin and all his wishes become real. He falls in love with the niece of his banker and has to win her uncle's approval and his own fortune back by wishing the right things to come true.  Grade: 4/5

Following Yonder Star by Emma Jensen

8 years ago Alice was left behind when the man she loved ran away to make his fortune and see the world. Now he is back and wants her forgiveness... but still has plans to leave again. I thought Alice forgave him a little too soon and while the story was nice I think she deserved better. Grade: 3.5/5

Merry Magpie by Sandra Heath

A couple became estranged after the lady found out the husband had a mistress but now he decides he wants her back and sets out to win her love. There's a very clever magpie in this story and while I don't usually like when animals behave like people I didn't mind what this one did to bring them together. Grade: 4/5

Best Wishes by Edith Layton

This one was a lot of fun to read. The main couple are newlyweds with very different personalities and both want to spend Christmas their own way. They decide to spend half the time with the hero's friends and half the time with the heroine's family but both solutions will have their own problems and maybe they needed to grow up a bit too. Grade: 4/5

Let Nothing You Dismay by Carla Kelly

Another really nice story about a barrister who blames himself for a past tragedy and his niece's teacher who spends Christmas with them and has some fears of her own. I thought this was a lovely story about family, love and forgiveness. Just right for this season. Grade: 4.5/5

A Father For Christmas - Paula Tanner Girard

A COACH, A CASTLE AND A CATCH -- FOR THE LADY WHO ISN'T LOOKING FOR LOVE...

Widowed Lady Millicent Copley rejoiced at the invitation from the Copleys in Devonshire: Christmas at their magnificent castle on the faraway moors. A visit to the remote estate was sure to distract her mischievous six-year-old son, Rupert, from an impossible yuletide wish. But how to get to Devonshire? The distance was great, the roads were snowy, and a highwayman was kidnapping noblemen for ransom. Then a fellow guest, the Marquis of Wetherby, offered Millicent his coach and company. One of the most sought-after bachelors in London, the rakish Wetherby thought Millicent a perfect...mouse. Millicent though him a handsome...gadabout. And Master Rupert thought the Marquis the answer to his prayers. Now this determined young boy was about to put into action an outrageous scheme to help him get his wish: a new father just in time for Christmas!

Another Christmas read and another new author to me. This was a very light story with the hero and heroine being thrown together because the hero must accompany the heroine and her son to the Christmas party of a relative. On the way they get to know each other better and end up being kidnapped by an outlaw who has been holding noblemen for ransom.

While some of the scenes were actually very funny, like the time they spent with the outlaws or later in the farmer's cottage, I couldn't help feeling the heroine was too naive and too good to be true, she was almost annoying in how she kept seeing the best in everyone even in the rival for the hero's affections... a woman that was actually pretty decent to the heroine when she didn't have to... I'm guessing she will be the heroine of a future book.

The hero was also the usual kind, a rake decided to change his ways, and nothing really stood so I just enjoyed it for the fun romp that it was with being extraordinary.

Grade: 3.5/5

A Gift For a Rogue - Julia Parks

His Reputation Was Abominable...


After years as one of London's most notorious rakes, Alexander Havenhurst, Earl of Foxworth, has decided to settle down. He longs for the sort of storybook marriage his brother enjoys, but his reputation keeps most suitable ladies from taking him seriously. With pride bowing to need, Alex has but one option left--to consult a professional matchmaker who can give him the polish he lacks. And the only matchmaker who will agree to help him is the lovely widow Lady Isabelle Fanshaw, whose sparkling green eyes and ready wit do nothing to help his efforts to reform.

...And Very Tempting

Lady Isabelle has guided many a young lady through the pitfalls of the social season. But how can she tame such a rake as Alex Foxworth, a man with manners more suited to a brothel than the drawing room? When the lout insists that he must flirt with someone, or go mad, Isabelle agrees to let him engage in some harmless repartee with her, as long as he behaves as a perfect gentleman in public. But as an important Christmas house party draws near, Isabelle realizes that her tutoring may be succeeding all too well. For she soon has no desire to see her beloved rake in any woman's arms but her own.

Continuing with my Christmas reading I picked this traditional regency. I had no expectations about it, had never read the author, and while I didn't love it I ended up finding it a pretty decent story.

The hero and the heroine are both widowers. The hero, who after losing his wife had become a sort of a rake, wants to change his ways and find a new wife and settle down. The heroine, having been disowned by her father after her marriage, has supported herself and her young daughter by becoming a companion to young ladies who are to be presented in society. She is a friend of the hero's sister in law and since she is engaged to help his two wards in their coming season Grace suggests that she helps him achieve his goal.

They were both rather likeable characters although the heroine seemed to have an infinite dose of patience to deal with a rude and annoying ward, I kept wishing she would give the girl a set down. Both of them have children although the hero's relationship with his sons is a bit distant and it was nice, since this is a Christmassy read set during a house party, to see the family members interacting with each other and both children and parents worrying about each other and spending time together.

One thing annoyed me though and that's what made me lower the grade a bit. We know the hero is a confirmed rake but since he mentions reforming he really is a nice guy. But even after their feelings are acknowledged the heroine keeps complaining about rakes and how that can't be trusted to change their ways. While I understood she had been hurt by the events of her past her behaviour seemed a bit too much.

Grade: 3.5/5

A Regency Homespun Christmas - Anthology

It is a sad thing when one starts a new anthology thinking it will be full of new stories and then realises you've read them all. It was nice to revisit them but I would have preferred new ones.

The Wexford Carol - Emma Jensen

This one was a really nice story about a woman who is trying to keep her ancestral home in order and good repair despite the fact that it has been sold by the cousin who inherited it and the man sent by the new owner to oversee the property. Some funny secondary characters helped keeping this a light story. Grade: 4/5

Mistletoe and Folly - Sandra Heath

A pair of young lovers meets again after 5 years. The hero had his heart broken by the heroine when she left to marry another and now that they meet again he is engaged to be married. A rival for the affections of his current fiancee creates a misunderstanding to have their engagement broken which leads to an explanation of what really happened 5 years earlier. I liked this story, it had an unusual plot, a bit more mystery than you usually find here and an unexpected ending for some of the secondary characters. A 4/5.

An Object of Charity - Carla Kelly

Captain Lynch unexpectedly finds himself taking charge of his dead first mate niece and nephew. He plans to return home to visit the mother and brother he hasn't speak with in 20 years and develops a fondness the Sally Partlow, the mentioned niece. I found this the best story of the book mainly due to the hero who was wonderful. I have two complaints though, Sally is at first shown as a very young girl when she is in fact 25 years old and as in all of my previous Kelly reads I wanted a bit more emotion. Grade: 4/5

Amanda McCabe - Upon a Midnight Clear

This story has an original heroine, a Jamaican girl who makes soaps and perfumes. She has come to England to accompany a childhood friend. Then she meets a British naval officer who thinks he is unworthy of love because of his scars and they fall in love with each other. Grade: 3.5/5

Anthology grade: 4/5

A Christmas Charade - Karla Hocker

Elizabeth Gore-Langton was hardly in a position to refuse to accompany Lady Astley to the Christmas party at Stenton Castle. After all, a paid companion must follow her employer's wishes. It scarcely signified that Elizabeth would be forced to face the man who had unknowingly broken her heart years ago during her first season. Most likely, the Duke of Stenton wouldn't even recognize her. But once she looked up into his dark piercing eyes, she knew this was a man who forgot very little..and forgave even less. Well, she was no longer a blushing schoolgirl, and the dashing duke would soon find that a broken heart, once mended, could be formidable, indeed! Clive Rowland, Fifth Duke of Stenton, was in no mood for a holiday gathering. But the Christmas gala would provide the perfect cover as he investigated reports that French agents were doing a brisk trade in stolen documents along the Sussex coast. It would be devilishly difficult to play the host while tracking down traitors, but Clive was up to the task--provided he kept his wits about him and didn't get distracted by yule logs and Chirstmas folderol..or the delightful charms of the disturbingly familiar Elizabeth. The little minx was hiding something, to be sure, and she was about to learn that he liked nothing better than unveiling a lady's secrets!

Another Christmas story from a new author this A Christmas Charade is my final entry for the 2009 Holiday Reading Challenge. I have been trying a lot of new authors for these Christmas challenges and if not all of them are winner they at least are entertaining for an afternoon of leisure.

I found that this story suffered from the same problem that many other Christmas reads where there are too many things going on. Here we have a house party, a search for lost family jewels, smugglers and French spies, a secondary romance and a ghost all in one book.

I was particularly interested in this story because, from the blurb, it seemed a "second chance" kind of story and I do love those (I blame it on Austen's Persuasion). However I found that particular side of the story ends up being one of the least important ones and the hero doesn't remember the heroine almost till the end so it was like they were getting to know each other for the first time.

What really made it entertaining for me was the presence of the ghost, I normally complain of paranormal elements in my traditional regency reading but I must confess that this time I found the ghost of Annie Tuck fun and a good addition to the story. Especially when she helps the secondary characters reunite.

I think the smugglers and the spies really weren't needed, although the search for a French spy was the reason for Stenton to reunite the family at his home I thought he could have searched for him better without them and so the story could have been just their reunion because of the Christmas festivities and their interaction with each other.

With so many things going on it is only natural that Clive and Elizabeth don't have that much time to interact and their relationship seemed to me a bit superficial. But it was still entertaing and pleasant.

Grade: 3.5/5

A Regency Christmas III - Anthology

Bringing together five all-new Christmas stories by some of the most highly
acclaimed Regency authors, this rich collection celebrates the joys and
traditions of the holiday season. These are stories that capture the essence of
Christmas - the generosity and goodwill, the love and longing, the hopes and the
heartbreaks. Filled with romance and that joyful spirit that comes only once a
year, this wonderful collection will delight readers all year round.

Ana's review:

I'm not much of an anthology reader except at Christmas. Ever since I found the
Signet Christmas anthologies I've been collecting them and reading a few every
Christmas. This one has 5 stories by well known authors.

In Sandra Heath's MISTLETOE AND FOLLY a pair of young lovers meet again after 5 years. The hero had his heart broken by the heroine when she left to marry another and now that they meet again he is engaged to be married. A rival for the affections of his current fiancee creates a misunderstanding to have their engagement broken which leads to an explanation of what really happened 5 years earlier. I liked this story, it had an unusual plot, a bit more mystery than you usually find here and an unexpected ending for some of the secondary characters. A 4.

In Mary Jo Putney THE CHRISTMAS CUCKOO a misunderstanding leads the wrong man to be invited to spend Christmas at a farmhouse by the heroine. Although misunderstanding plots aren't always easy to believe in I really liked this one. Not only it worked well as the main characters were really likeable people. A 4.

In Mary Balogh's THE BEST CHRISTMAS EVER a young child, mute since her mother's death, wishes for a new mother for Christmas and believes she got it when the heroine arrives to the house party the next morning. The hero and the heroine have a past together and it will take them a while to solve things between them. I found the thoughts of the child regarding her mother very emotional. An 5.

In Melinda McRae's HOME FOR CHRISTMAS a man returning from America finds his parents house empty except for the servants and the children's governess. This was a sweet story but the weakest of all as there is not much back story or explanation for the characters feelings. A 3.5

In Edith Layton's THE DARK MAN a young lady newly betrothed has doubts about her fiancé's feelings and ends up breaking up with him. It will take him a while to discover his true feelings and go after her. I did like this story that had a really nice set of secondary characters like the heroine's parents and the hero's friend trying to matchmake. The Duke of Torquay is mentioned briefly and that was a nice touch. A 4.

Grade: 4/5

Ioana’s review:
After having neglected my Regency reading for such a long time, I thought to start anew with a Christmas book, to put me in the mood for… Christmas (catching the Ana bug – who only reads Christmas books in December :) ). So I chose this book, starring 3 of my favorite authors, it should have been palatable :)
And I have to say that it was quite good, well except for the first story, which almost made go back to my not-reading Regencies status…
But let me begin with the review. Oh, I won’t describe each story, I see that Ana did it already, I’ll just say how I liked them and why.

“Mistletoe and Folly” by Sandra Heath was quite bad in my opinion (sorry Ana :)). I’ve never been a fan of misunderstandings, even if I do admit they can work sometimes… But NOT when you have only 70 pages to write a story that brings the spirit of Christmas, a story that should make the reader feel warm inside, and not confused on who does what and why and annoyed because everything is so rushed. Also, the very beautiful heroine, who sacrifices herself for her family and suffers greatly in her arranged marriage with a cruel man, is so hated and misjudged by the hero at the beginning of the story and then SNAP! hero finds out the truth and he is so much in love with her again! Puh-lease! A 2.

“The Christmas Cuckoo” by Mary Jo Putney was my favorite (yeah, even before Mary Balogh’s). It’s such a funny, cheerful story, with some wonderful characters. The hero is to die for! Anyway, he gets to spend Christmas with a very nice family that mistake him for a friend, and in between almost drowning, baking mince pies and decorating the house, you get romance, Christmas cheer and some trepidation about what will happen when the truth is revealed! A 5!

“The best Christmas ever” by Mary Balogh. It was a nice, warm book, I can’t really complain… but I am! What it had best was the little girl, and not the hero or the heroine… he seemed a little dense and she – a long suffering victim… Oh, okay, it was a 4.

Melinda McRae was a new author or me, so I didn’t know what to expect. “Home for Christmas” wasn’t quite bad, but it felt like an empty story: it brought the sense of Christmas (and that was great), but it lacked a lot on the romance level. The two main characters were perfect strangers at the beginning of the story, and did not seem a lot different by the end of the book. And to believe that any sane woman would choose to accompany a man, who she has just met, to a foreign land, in the middle of nowhere, it’s a little too much for me. Yes, romances let us dream about things that can’t really happen in real life, but I will never dream about being insane… Still, it was better than the first story, a 3.5.

“The dark man” was a nice end to the anthology, it showed in very few pages why Edith Layton was such a great author. It was quite an introspective book, with a serious theme, maybe not really fit for Christmas, but a nice touch nevertheless… Anyway, I won’t say more, just that it’s worth reading, especially if you like your characters well explained :) even if I will say that the book deserved a lot more pages… A 5.

Grade: 4/5

Under The Kissing Bough - Shannon Donnelly

Shy Eleanor Glover is astounded when wickedly handsome Geoffrey Westerly, Lord Staines, asks for her hand. Yet he makes it plain that he wants nothing more than a sensible wife—and a Christmas Eve wedding to please his dying father. With three beautiful sisters and a dearth of suitors herself, Eleanor does not refuse—yet she soon fears that despite Geoffrey's generous promise to give her anything her heart desires, he won't offer the one thing she truly wants…his love. Eleanor's reserve is a challenge to Geoffrey—he once loved another woman, and believes his passionate nature scared her away. Yet when he finds Eleanor seated beneath a mistletoe bough, tradition demands that he pluck a berry and kiss her. He doesn't anticipate his lovely bride's warm response, but as the wedding draw nears, he resolves to present the surprisingly strong-willed Eleanor with a gift far more meaningful than a betrothal ring…his heart.

When I first read the blurb I thought the story had great potential for a nice Christmas read. It mentioned a marriage of convenience and I could see how two people could get to know each other during a Christmas house party and surrounded by family. I was a bit worried though about the mention of the hero scaring a past love interest with his passionate nature, that sounded weird... and I'm afraid it was...

Eleanor is our common plain, intelligent and shy heroine that the hero never notices at first but learns to value in time. She accepts a marriage of convenience because her parent's tell her to. She finds the hero charming and attractive but sees that he only offered for her because his father is dying and wants to see him wed. And she soon finds out that he has loved another in the past and people believe he is still in love with her. Geoffrey is marrying because his father wants him to; he wants a sensible wife and a marriage with no emotional entanglements. He loved a woman in the past and she run away from him when he tried to embrace her and he still feels deeply the pain of her rejection.

Now everything would be well if we just had them getting to know each other and falling in love. But that's no exactly what happens, we see Geoffrey learning that Eleanor is a generous, intelligent woman but we don't really get to see her knowing him all that well except that he hurts inside. And the woman from his past does appear several times and while there's an attempt to explain why she rejected him (sounded pretty weak to me) I was left wondering why she married that weird man, he could be less passionate but he was weird. Eleanor and Geoffrey never really speak of their feelings till they are married and I would much preferred to have them address their problems before, because there are several scenes where Eleanor is jealous of Geoffrey and Cynthia and because the situation of Geoffrey's father being revealed was the perfect opportunity for them to speak of their feelings.

I am curious about Eleanor's sisters, especially Emma who seemed the opposite of her sister...

Grade. 3.5/5

A Rogue For Christmas - Kate Huntington

Even though he is not on the guest list for the Blakelys' elegant Christmas Ball, notorious rogue and gamester Lionel St. James attends the party just to see the stunning Miss Mary Ann Whittaker, a woman he had encountered years ago who changed his life forever.

I picked up this book because I had previously loved the book I read by Kate Huntington about Christmas. That one really struck a chord and I had high expectations for this one but I'm afraid they were left unfulfilled.

When the book starts Mary Ann is a fourteen year old girl who is going to pawn her only jewel so her family can have Christmas dinner. On the way to the pawn shop she is attacked by a thief and saved by Lionel St James who ends up accompanying her to the pawn shop and later to buy her family a nice Christmas dinner. Fast forward 5 or 6 years and not only Mary Ann hasn't forgotten Lionel, but she is convinced she will find him again and they will marry.

They do meet again and while Mary Ann's family is much better with one of her sisters having married and wealthy viscount Lionel is much worse living his life as a gambler and having had no luck in the recent months. Mary Ann and her sisters ask him to spend Christmas with them in the country after having seen how alone he was, not only that but they manage to invite his estranged family to go too without him knowing to try and help them make peace. But her brother in law is less than thrilled, he knows Lionel for a gamester and a rake and doesn't want him around the young ladies of his family. To add to the awkward situation Lionel's stepmother brings along her sister with whom Lionel was involved in the past and who actually made up the situation that estranged him from his family.

I felt the story had two problems, one that Mary Ann is just too open for a regency Miss, and her behaviour was a bit too modern and liberated. And the second that there was too much going on at the same time, Lionel and Mary Ann, the story with his parents, the problems with the woman from his past that lead him to believe she was going after Mary Ann's sister in law this time... There were so many secondary characters that I ended up thinking this book must be a part of a series and it is.

It's not that I disliked it, it was a pleasant Christmas story and I had an enjoyable afternoon reading it. But it was not memorable has the previous book I had read by her.

Grade: 3.5/5

Regency Chritmas Spirits - Anthology

Another Signet Christmas Anthology, the common theme here is Spirits although they can come in various forms:

The Merry Wanderer - Nancy Butler

Julia is the Lady of Islay, after the death of her father she is now the keeper of a special book that is invaluable for the fairy world. Robin is the being sent to see if she will be a good keeper or find her a husband that is. An ok read but not memorable. Grade: 3.5/5

The Wexford Carol - Emma Jensen

This one was a really nice story about a woman who is trying to keep her ancestral home in order and good repair despite the fact that it has been sold by the cousin who inherited it and the man sent by the new owner to oversee the property. Some funny secondary characters helped keeping this a light story. Grade: 4/5

High Spirits - Edith Layton

My favourite. It's not everyday we have a heroine who likes too drink a bit too much. The hero was your common rake with a good heart but the original heroine and plot with the hero trying to make the heroine sober more than made up for it. Grade: 4.5/5

The Christmas Curse - Barbara Metzger

Two ghosts can not find eternal rest while their descendant doesn't put the Lady's wedding ring on his beloved's finger. So they plot to see that happen. The descendant is Lord Worth who returned home with scars from the Peninsular War and the heroine is the widow Amelia Merriot who stays at his home to nurse two old ladies. One of the last scenes, the dinner, is a very funny comedy of errors. Grade: 4/5

A Gathering of Gifts - Andrea Pickens

Although this story was a bit predictable it made me think of Jane Austen's Emma and not only because the heroine is named Emma. She is also wilful and too used to having her own way. When an accident leaves her unable to move in a neighbour's home for a few days she has to do a bit of growing up and realise things can't always go as she wants. Grade: 4/5

Anthology grade: 4/5

Mistletoe Mischief - Sandra Heath

A Christmas Match

A lovely orphan who was unfairly dismissed from her last place of employment, Megan Mortimer can't believe her luck when the notoriously eccentric Lady Evangeline Radcliffe hires her as a companion. Evangeline is well aware of the unjust accusations that ruined the unfortunate girl's reputation-but she fully intends to make this Christmas one Megan will remember forever. ...

Arriving at her home in Brighton with Megan in tow, Evangeline is surprised but delighted to find her distant cousin, Sir Greville Seton, already in residence. As the date of her annual holiday theater extravaganza draws near, Evangeline grows ever more determined to bring Megan and Greville together-despite the fact that Greville despises women who work as companions. But when this bitter bachelor embraces the spirit of the holiday season, his old grudges quickly give way to a joyful and precious new love. ...

Another Christmas read and traditional regency by Sandra Heath, an author I keep reading even if not all her books work for me. This one was a so so, nice enough but not memorable.

Miss Megan Mortimer is a Lady's companion. She is dismissed from her last job after being blamed for the advances the Lady's son and is then employed by Lady Evangeline. Lady Evangeline was actually a really nice character, an older woman decided to right a past wrong and to marry her two nephews happily, who is in love with a family friend and speaks with ghosts. Yes, this story has a ghost, Heath seems to be fond of adding these magical elements to her stories and I keep reading them even if they don't work for me.

One of Lady Evangeline's nephews is Sir Greville, who hates companions because his father run off with one. From the rest of the story one gathers that Sir Greville's mother wasn't happy even before the father run away so may the companion did her a favour but he doesn’t' t seem to see it that way. In the blurb much is made of his attitude but I felt her overcame his dislike for Megan really quickly and from then on the happy ending in sight.

The story revolves around Megan and Sir Greville, how he at first believes what is being said in polite society about how she was dismissed but then believes her and stands by her but also about Lady Evangeline's other nephew Lord Rupert Radcliffe and his problems after realising he may have let slip the woman he loves through his fingers as she is now being courted by another man (and a nasty piece at that). And around the ghost who we realise is a Shakespearean actor waiting to be reunited in death with his lover and that Megan can also see. His actions will give her a help in a much needed situation.

The book has some funny moments but I think it never really stands out; it's entertaining but not memorable. I wish more time would have been devoted to Lady Evangeline's romance with her neighbour and maybe if there weren't so many stories and main characters things would have felt more solid.

Grade: 3.5/5

Regency Christmas Magic - Anthology

5 Regency Christmas short stories with a magical twist, this made for a pleasant afternoon reading.

Amanda McCabe - Upon a Midnight Clear

This story has an original heroine, a Jamaican girl who makes soaps and perfumes. She has come to England to accompany a childhood friend. Then she meets a British naval officer who thinks he is unworthy of love because of his scars and they fall in love with each other. Grade: 3.5/5

Allison Lane - The Ultimate Magic

I was left with the feeling that this was part of a series as the h/h actively dislike each other when the story opens due to events of the past. The heroine is a governess who has to control her charge, a spoiled heiress, till she weds but things are complicated because the heiress keeps flirting with someone other than her fiancé. The hero ends up helping with the charge and looking at the heroine in a new light. Grade: 4/5

Edith Layton - Two Dancing Daughters

This story does have a larger magical element as two girls keep slipping away from their bedrooms at night to meet with a strange character that presents himself as a foreign duke and wants to take them to another world. The worried father hires an ex soldier to investigate and him and one of the daughters fall in love. Grade: 4/5

Barbara Metzger - The Enchanted Earl

I'm not too fond of magic in my regencies and this one has the aggravating problem that the hero is under a spell. The heroine decides to organise a big Christmas party at her late husband home and the hero ends up helping her and protecting her from spells and other magical creatures after she makes a wish for a magician for the party. Grade: 3.5/5

Sandra Heath - The Green Gauze Gown

This one was nice although it included a magical being that could, among other things, change the colors of dresses. It's a second chance story and I actually liked the detail of the letters stolen by the heroine's late husband who wood and proposed with words not his. Of course that if the hero hadn't been so shy the first time around... Grade: 4/5

Father Christmas - Barbara Metzger

HE DARED BELIEVE THAT HIS MONEY COULD BUY ANYTHING!

A war hero's widow had few pleasures, especially when she was living under the miserly auspices of a stern father. But Graceanne had her beautiful three-year-old twin boys and that was joy enough.

Therefore she was shocked by the audacity of the Duke of Ware, who decided he could help himself to one of her babies. He needed an heir and she had a boy to spare. It was appalling! And she told him so with a swift kick to his manly pride.

But it was Christmas, after all, and 'tis the season of forgiveness. The gentleman was a charming rake to be sure, but there was no chance of his claiming her child—or her heart, though she was certain he was conspiring for both ....

Barbara Metzger’s Father Christmas kicked off my Christmas reading month. It is my first read by the author and I was a bit unsure whether I would like it or not. It started off well with the story of the Duke of Ware who needs an heir and Graceanne, his cousin’s widow who has twin sons and how he starts thinking one of the twins could be raised as his heir. The problem was the story soon loses direction. Instead of developing Ware’s and Graceanne’s relationship it takes us to Graceanne’s family problems, namely her idiot and selfish sister who runs away pregnant and unmarried to Scotland. Graceanne is forced to follow her and eventually adopt the baby she bores as her own. Naturally Ware, who is still only interested in the twins, believes the worst of Graceanne who doesn’t bother telling him that it’s not her child but her niece. We never feel the attraction between them, there’s no tension and honestly the plot didn’t seem like traditional regency. If you like light and fluffy this maybe for you but it didn’t work for me.

Grade: 2/5

A Regency Christmas Carol - Anthology

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's 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

Christmas Beau - Mary Balogh

His Vengeance Was Sweet

Judith Easton knew that even the spirit of Christmas wouldn't stop the Marquess of Denhigh from settling the score with her. For the beautiful young widow had injured Denhigh's rigid pride years ago by jilting him for another man.

Now that Judith was free from her nightmare marriage to that other man, the bold and handsome Marquess made no secret that he had her in his sights and wanted her in his arms.

But how could she trust the tender words on his lips when she could sense the hardness of his heart? And after she had made so grievous a mistake in love once, how could she ever trust her own heart's desire again?

There's nothing better to start my Christmas reading this year that picking up one of Balogh's wonderful Christmas novels. Christmas Beau is a revenge story but it is also a story about healing and love.

Eight years ago Judith, then betrothed to Viscount Evendon who she thought was cold and feeling, eloped with Andrew Easton who she thought was charming and passionate. Unfortunately her husband soon revealed himself as rake and a gambler and now that she is a widow Judith feels her two children were the best thing of her marriage.

Max is now the Marquess of Denbigh, eight years ago he had been much in love with Judith although too shy to tell her. He was devastated with her elopement and now that she is a widow and back in town he is decided to get his revenge.

Max and Judith meet each other at several social functions. While seems charming enough Judith senses that all is not as it should be and would prefer to stay away from him. Unfortunately for her Max charms her children and her sister in law and soon she finds herself accepting an invitation to spend the holiday season at his home in the country.

Max is a lonely man who has managed to assemble around him other lonely people to spend Christmas and so spend a happy holiday. Not only that but Judith finds that he is funding the upbringing of a number of young girls and boys rescued from the London slums that a friend of his is trying to educate so they can have a better future.

It's easy to see how Judith's opinion changes and she starts falling in love with Max, and it's sad to see how he is actually a good man but he can't let go of the past and of how hurt by her he was. Eventually Max does follow through with his plans but Christmas is a season for healing, for understanding and for forgiveness and they both end up speaking of the past and accepting their feelings.

A lovely story very evocative of all the good feelings of the season and with interesting characters including the secondary ones. There's also a very nice secondary romance that also enhances the spirit of the season.

Grade: 4.5/5

A Regency Christmas Present - Anthology

The gifts of Christmas are priceless -- good cheer, warm hearts, and happy times with friends. And now five bestselling Regency authors have made a special present to you--five brand-new stories. High-spirited and humorous, heartwarming and romantic and full of the fun and flavor of the holiday season they're the perfect present to share with friends and loved ones. And in each delightful story you'll find that there's one Christmas present that lasts all year round--the gift of true love.…

Heart's Desire - Allison Lane
Emma Fairlawn is a widow and she is travelling back to her father's house when she meets Craig Curtiss, home from the war to inherit the title after the death of his brother. He has a veritable dragon of a grandmother who plans to order his life and Emma gives him the courage he needs to face his grandmother.
Grade: 3/5

Christmas Wish List - Barbara Metzger
A Lord Boughton changes his life for his sick child and does what he can to get a rare breed kitten for her. Unfortunately for him his first encounter with owner of the kittens, Geraldine Selden, didn't go very well and she is determined not to give him one. He thinks of so many plans to get that one kitten that the story almost resembles a farce and misses on the romantic element.
Grade: 3/5

An Object of Charity - Carla Kelly
Captain Lynch unexpectedly finds himself taking charge of his dead first mate niece and nephew. He plans to return home to visit the mother and brother he hasn't speak with in 20 years and develops a fondness the Sally Partlow, the mentioned niece. I found this the best story of the book mainly due to the hero who was wonderful. I have two complaints though, Sally is at first shown as a very young girl when she is in fact 25 years old and as in all of my previous Kelly reads I wanted a bit more emotion.
Grade: 4/5

A Christmas Canvas - Elizabeth Fairchild
This was a strange story. Maitland, a painter is sent by his uncle to paint his fiancée and while there falls in love with the girl himself (I wonder why as she was a rather strange girl) and realises her brother is a villain (I didn't understand his motives but he was a bad apple) and decides to elope with her. Enter the uncle who says he never asked the girl to marry him, he just wanted them both to be together and he just knew they would suit. Say what?
Grade: 2/5

The Last Gift - Edith Layton
Rewriting a classic children's tale is not always easy and Layton attempts here to do that with Sleeping Beauty. Lord Cameron wants an old fashioned bride and when he goes to spend a few days in a Scottish cottage he finds an old house with a sleeping girl he rouses with a kiss. I found it too unbelievable, there were many loose ends regarding Mirabelle's story and little of holiday cheer.
Grade: 2/5

Grade: 3/5

Yuletide Match - Margaret Westhaven

No Place for a Lady

Caroline Percival was born and raised a lady--but family financial disaster forced her to take the unsuitable position of governess in the hellish household of the odious Brangley clan, and the coming of Christmas made her position especially impossible. Even this low rung on the social ladder was threatened by the amorous intent of the lascivious Lord Marchton. Caroline was willing to pay the price to repel this offensive rogue--but his half brother, Mr. Guy Constant, posed a far greater danger to her defiant pride. Where Marchton used his title and brute strength, Constant used wealth, good looks, and charm. And while Marchton had the power to make her lose her post, Guy Constant had the presence to make her lose her head and her heart...

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Although of good birth, our heroine Miss Caroline Percival has been forced to work for her living after her father died and left her penniless. At the start of the book, she works as a governess and suffers the advances of Lord Marchton a visitor of the Brangleys whom she works for. In true regency novel fashion, she is of course blamed by Mrs Brangley for the incident and is fired. That was an inauspicious beginning for me as I really don’t like the martyr heroine type. However the book rapidly improved after this with a change of plot and setting. Our heroine goes to Bath to stay with her mother while looking for work. There she meets by accident Mr Guy Constant who happens to be the guardian of a little girl, Harriet, who was staying with the Brangleys, and to whom Caroline was genuinely attached. Mr Constant also happens to be the odious Lord Marchton’s elder half-brother. Seeing her in Bath after the incident with his brother, Mr Constant assumes she is after all a lady of loose morals, following him to Bath to extract money from him, in return for her silence about Marchton’s behaviour. So their first meeting in Bath does not go well. However he soon finds out that Caroline is in Bath to stay with her mother, and realises he accused her unjustly.

With the initial misunderstanding resolved quite quickly, Guy and Caroline’s relationship progresses and blossoms without further mishaps. I quite liked the fact that there were no contrived obstacles, misunderstandings and difficulties. So there is no much drama and emotional upheavals in this book. Guy and Caroline get to know each other better in Bath, and are both involved in taking care of little Harriet, who is an engaging little girl, not at all spoilt or annoying (another plus of this book).

All in all a very enjoyable read, with very likeable characters, light, refreshing and sweet. But if you want lots of drama, tormented characters, anguish and pain, then maybe the book is not for you. Otherwise, I heartily recommend it.

Grade 3.5/5

A Regency Christmas Eve - Anthology

Celebrate the most joyous of seasons with these original stories of holiday romance from five of today's most beloved award-winning Regency authors. Each tale is set on Christmas Eve, capturing the season's true spirit of charity and goodwill, proving time and again why love is the greatest gift of all. This special collection is a perfect present for friends and lovers who find themselves looking forward to the holiday with delicious anticipation, wondering what awaits them under the tree--and under the mistletoe .…

Little Miracles – Barbara Metzger
My favourite story in the anthology this one is about two rodents trying to save a very poor church by sharing the secret only they remember and bringing love and happiness to the vicar and the local lord. I thought the mice were a cute device, the story seems to lack some balance though as they only appear in the beginning and the end.
Grade: 4/5

Marriage Stakes - Allison Lane
Miss Sophie Landess is returning home with her widowed and very pregnant sister when they have a carriage accident and are saved by the Earl of Westlake and soon Sophie finds herself helping him finding the right bride after they are invited to stay at his home during the holiday season. I thought it was odd that Sophie went spying for him and I never really felt the attraction between them.
Grade: 3/5

The Gift of the Spoons – Nancy Butler
A man, desperate to save his son, goes in search of a healer he has heard about but finds her daughter instead. The enmity between the two is immediate but she eventually agrees to go and see his son leading to healing the rift between father and son and the developing of warmer feelings between the two. It was too brief for real development and I was unconvinced by their relationship.
Grade: 2/5

The Reckless Miss Ripley – Diane Farr
A road romance in which the hero finds himself helping Miss Claudia Ripley reaching Bath safely. Miss Ripley is a bit too trusting, naive and sometimes silly for my tastes and after him being so exasperated with her I couldn’t understand how his feelings changed so much. It was actually supposed to be a humorous story but I failed to be entertained by it with humour being such a personal thing.
Grade: 2/5

The Christmas Thief – Edith Layton
The hero, a former captain in the army, believes to have lost all his fortune due to an embezzler and tries his best to arrange a happy Christmas for his niece, even if the means stealing a doll or pawning his hat and boots. He also frees his fiancée from their commitment due to his financial situation but in the end it was all a misunderstanding and all is resolved in the end. The hero is a really nice character but the misunderstanding annoyed me.
Grade: 3/5

Anthology grade: 3/5

A Christmas Kiss / Winter Wonderland - Elizabeth Mansfield

These were my first stories by Mansfield and they wont be the last. Although not reaching a keeper status the stories were interesting and full of potential.

A Christmas Kiss

GIFT OF TREASURE...

When James Everard announced that he had invited a young lady home for the Christmas holidays, his father, the Earl of Gyllford, was astounded -- and skeptical. Could it be that Jamie was finally showing an interest in something other than horseplay with his friends?
But when lovely Miss Evalyn Pennington arrived at Gyllford Manor, it was the earl who found himself inexplicably drawn to her winsome beauty. Having been dismissed from her post as a governess, Evalyn would long remember the kindness of being welcomed at Gyllford Manor when she had nowhere else to turn. The elegant home was resplendent with the richness of holiday cheer -- the warm glow of the yule log, the sumptuous sights and smells of the Christmas feast, the glittering parties, and the laughter of children at play.

But neither Evalyn nor the earl expected the light of love that filled their Christmas with some very special gifts....

A young man wants to help a governess in trouble. To find her another job he plans to take her home so his aunt can get to know her and give her a character. The problem is his father and the aunt believe he has brought her home as his fiancée thus starting a big misunderstanding when the father starts falling for the girl.

I did like the main characters and their motivations, I felt the misunderstanding went on for a bit too long and especially that the hero and heroine should have spent more time together so we could see them falling in love. That’s the only way it would make sense for Evalyn to be so hurt when he decides to avoid her. But I did enjoy their relationship and thought that was an original hero, very kind and understanding and even lenient with his servants when they get in trouble.

I did like the set of secondary characters and the secondary romances that were developed. I must say I’m finding that my favourite Christmas stories all seem to include more than one romantic couple so maybe this is a trend in my reading.

Besides wanting more interaction between the Earl and Evalyn what didn’t work so well for me was the mystery plot, I don’t think we really needed a villain to bring those two together and the mystery wasn’t really all that developed with it ending almost before it’s begun and Evalyn not even knowing anything.

Grade: 4/5

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Winter Wonderland

THE SEASON OF FORGIVENESS...

It took one stinging rejection to chill Barnaby Traherne's heart to love...At his first society ball, beautiful Miranda Pardew haughtily turned down his shy request for a dance. Since that disastrous night, Barnaby vowed that no woman would make a fool of him again. Love was for others, perhaps, but not for him.

Over 10 years have passed since that encounter. But it seems like yesterday when Miranda comes into his life once more. She is still a stunning beauty, but time and circumstance have left her poor, alone and in need of employ. When she is hired as a governess for his brother's children, Barnaby must reconcile his painful memories-and his desire.

For amidst the warmth and merriment of the Christmas season, Miranda's return may be the blessing of a lifetime...

I had a harder time with this story than the first one although it has one of my favourite themes – it’s a second chance at love story.

My first problem is that the heroine really was mean and cruel to the hero 10 years before. Despite her having changed a lot we never really know much about that besides that she was unhappy in her marriage. It was just like she was a totally different person. Then the hero, despite having been deeply affected by her attitude, feels in love again as soon as he sees her. I just wasn’t convinced, both that he would still be in love with her and that she had conveniently changed into a totally different person.

Other than that is was an enjoyable story, with the hero’s sisters in law planning to marry him off to a young girl and him being attracted to the governess who was the beauty of his youth fallen on hard times. At first she doesn’t recognise him and can’t understand why he is so rude to her. But when she is told she regrets her behaviour and does apologise to him. But it just didn’t seem enough, I needed to know more about her. I needed for them to talk more about the past and how they spent those 10 years.

I did like the hero’s family, he had 4 older brothers that were intent on protecting him and his sisters in law were fun to read about. It made me wonder if they had their own books.

Grade: 3.5/5