First, let me make one thing crystal clear: I watch Hallmark Christmas movies. I am not ashamed to say it. They are a perfect accompaniment for Christmas knitting and crafting. They do not require too much thought. They are comfortingly predictable. I can tell you within a five-minute range of when the plot complication will occur to almost break up our Happy Couple.
Thus, I present to you my Black Friday gift: this massive list of Christmas romance books. Set in various times and places, they almost all satisfy that predictable, comforting format.
The Santa Suit
By Mary Kay
Andrews
Publisher: St. Martin's Press (September 28,
2021)
Hardcover: 224 pages
ISBN-10: 1250279313
ISBN-13: 978-1250279316
Publisher’s Blurb:
When newly-divorced Ivy Perkins buys an old farmhouse sight
unseen, she is definitely looking for a change in her life. The Four Roses, as
the farmhouse is called, is a labor of love―but Ivy didn't bargain on just how
much labor. The previous family left so much furniture and so much junk, that
it's a full-time job sorting through all of it.
At the top of a closet, Ivy finds an old Santa
suit―beautifully made and decades old. In the pocket of a suit she finds a note
written in a childish hand: it's from a little girl who has one Christmas wish,
and that is for her father to return home from the war. This discovery sets Ivy
off on a mission. Who wrote the note? Did the man ever come home? What
mysteries did the Rose family hold?
Ivy's quest brings her into the community, at a
time when all she wanted to do was be left alone and nurse her wounds. But the
magic of Christmas makes miracles happen, and Ivy just might find more than she
ever thought possible: a welcoming town, a family reunited, a mystery solved,
and a second chance at love.
My Thoughts:
This was a very quick, fun read. It follows most of the
tropes, but in a satisfying way. Ivy’s quest to figure out the Santa letter is
a great B-plot, and it’s resolution was quite satisfying in light of the holiday
season.
The less believable part is that Ezra is clearly interested in Ivy from the very beginning. Okay, they worked together via phone/email for her to purchase the house, but they had never met in person—and he’s pursuing her practically from page 1.
This was what I would term a “clean read”. There’s some kissing and drinking of adult beverages—by adults.
His Lady of Mistletoe
By Charlotte Jardine
Ladies of the Lamp #3
ASIN: B09FXZNLJV
Publisher: Griffon Press (October 12, 2021)
Print length: 183 pages
Publisher’s Blurb:
Beth Maybury is more at home in field hospitals than London
parlors. She’s been the victim of society’s elite before, and the scars—and the
epithet ‘Mistletoe Maybury’—are as fresh to her as the Crimean War. Now, with
her spirits at rock bottom, and her mother too distracted by her charity to
bother with Christmas, Beth agrees to provide round-the-clock nursing for a
patient from her Bethnal Green clinic. However, the position comes with a
catch: her charge’s handsome, yet curmudgeonly nephew.
When Nate Hillier, head of the Hillier’s Sweets
empire, goes looking for his war veteran uncle to invite him home for
Christmas, he hadn’t expected his uncle to be near-death. The old man insists
on Miss Elizabeth Maybury caring for him, so Nate is forced to invite the
annoying do-gooder into his home, even though it’s almost Christmas.
A rags-to-riches success, Nate has no desire to
expose his family to the thinly-veiled scorn of an upper class lady playing at
nurse, no matter how gentle her manner or beguiling those toffee-colored eyes.
Nate is far too busy running the family business for romance… and most
certainly not with a woman whose world is so different to his own.
I really enjoyed this one. It was a little less cookie-cutter
than many others. There was still the usual trope of both of the protagonists
assuming that the other couldn’t possibly be interested in them. I really
enjoyed the character of Beth. Her escape to be a nurse was prompted by a
rather overblown social problem of the day, but her heart is truly in her work
and she’s good at it. I also appreciated that Nate is not the usual member of
the nobility, but a self-made man.
This one is squeaky clean, with just a little bit of kissing.
Meet Me Under the Kissing Bough
By Josi Kilpack, Anneka Walker, Sarah McConkie
Publisher: Covenant Communications, Inc.
(September 20, 2021)
ISBN-10: 1524419737
ISBN-13: 978-1524419738
Publisher’s Blurb:
We wish you a merry Christmas
and a happily ever after! This special holiday historical romance anthology featuring
three heartwarming novellas proves that no matter the obstacles, 'tis the
season for love.
Meet Me under the Kissing Bough by Josi S. Kilpack
Deborah Winfrey hasn't had the heart to host a
holiday party since her husband's death. But this Christmas, it's time to move
forward. The festivities bring renewed life to her home, and the attentions of
two very different men promise a chance at new love.
Healing Hearts for the Holidays by Anneka R. Walker
Julia Hunt is strictly forbidden from associating
with the family in the nearby manor̬ including the handsome younger son,
Esmond, who quickly steals her heart. With Christmas around the corner, an old
bundle of hidden love letters may be the key to her own happily ever after.
A Christmas Correspondence by Sarah L. McConkie
In this novella inspired by the timeless tale A
Christmas Carol, John Charleston finds himself on an unexpected journey in
the company of the insufferable Lady Carolyn Morleigh. But the magic of the
season has a way of softening even the hardest of hearts.
My Thoughts:
I appreciated the variety in these stories. I liked that the first featured a second chance at love for a widow—not something we see enough of, as romances seem to mostly focus on young first love. Of course, as a notorious lover of re-told tales, I particularly enjoyed “A Christmas Correspondence.” The middle of the three was the least memorable.
As befits this publisher, all of these are squeaky clean, with nothing more than a bit of kissing.
A Midwinter Match
By Jane Lovering
Publisher: Boldwood Books (August 19, 2021)
Paperback: 272 pages
ISBN-10: 1800482469
ISBN-13: 978-1800482463
Publisher’s Blurb:
Ruby Oldbridge needs to learn to take her own advice.
A talented counsellor at work in York, she is however floundering in her own life. Her romantic track record is woeful, her finances are in a pickle, and she’s back in a house-share after splitting up with her useless ex.
But one thing Ruby is brilliant at, is helping other people find a way through their problems, and she excels at the job she loves, doing just that.
Happy-go-lucky, Mr Positivity, Zac Drewe also loves his job – the trouble is, it’s the same as Ruby’s, and the management have decided to ‘rationalise’ their department. There’s only room for one of them.
As the snow and winter close in on York, Ruby and Zac have everything to lose, and Ruby starts to wonder if the happy face Zac shows the world, might be disguising a sadder secret.
Set against one another, they are unlikely friends. But perhaps, if they could take the time to understand each other, they might discover that rather than rivals, they could be the best thing that ever happened to one another…
My Thoughts:
This was a little less like the classic
Christmas movie format, but then, it’s not really a Christmas plot, it just
happens to be set in the winter. Our two characters both do the same job, and
when their companies merge, they are forced to compete for one position. They’re
both good at what they do, and each has their own reason for desperately
needing to keep the job. Ruby thinks Zac is too nice to be true, especially
since they’re both after the same job. As she gets to know him, instead of
hating him, she hates the situation they’re in. And, in the end, despite her
nearly crippling anxiety, she makes a bold decision in order to secure a future
for both of them, leading to a satisfying conclusion. The characters were all
well-drawn, even the stereotypical incompetent boss and the ubiquitous gay best
friend.
This is another one that doesn’t go past kissing, although there is the aforementioned gay character and a man who wants to be a drag queen. A few vaguely sexual references, like hoping someone’s “willy rots off.” I don’t recall any strong language.
Cross-Country
Christmas
By Laurie Lewis
Silver Buckle
Brides
Publisher: Covenant Communications, Inc.
(October 1, 2021)
Paperback: 256 pages
ISBN-10: 1524418862
ISBN-13: 978-1524418861
Publisher’s Blurb:
When CC Cippolini is offered a temp job driving a custom car across the country, she leaps at the chance to leave Chicago, put her past in the rearview mirror, and make a fresh start. But one car crash and broken cattle fence later, CC ends up at the home of ruggedly handsome rancher Reese Brockbank.
Reese doesn’t hesitate to rescue the reckless woman who has crashed into his life, but when circumstances require him to put CC up in his house for a few days, he vows to remain aloof—a woman already derailed his life once. As CC’s warmth and childlike love of Christmas turn his beautiful but sterile house into a home, however, she wears down his defenses. Still, something in her story doesn’t quite add up, and Reese’s questions soon cause CC to retreat.
The pain of their pasts has brought them to
this moment, but will they seize it or put the possibility of love in jeopardy?
My Thoughts:
A book about faith—in ourselves, in others, and in God—that isn’t preachy. Both of our main characters have things in their past that they struggle with, and, as with so many of the “Hallmark movie” tropes. In this one, he’s the grinch, and she’s the big-hearted Christmas lover. Of course, each of them helps the other to deal with their issues, even if they don’t realize that’s what they’re doing. Throw in the ex-boyfriend-on-the-doorstep-just-as-things-are-going-well twist, and you get a fairly predictable moment. Of course, we know how it will end, it’s just a matter of how the author gets us there. This is another one with some delightful side characters.
Once again, there’s no objectionable content.
There’s some kissing, and some reference to a married couple being together
after being separated for a few days.
A Christmas at
Gingerbread Falls
By Katie Mettner
Publisher: Breaking Night Press (October 12,
2021)
Paperback: 254 pages
ISBN-10: 1735725331
ISBN-13: 978-1735725338
Publisher’s Blurb:
Actress Carrie Murray's films are a Christmas
lover's delight. Filled with twinkling lights, festive carols, and happy
endings, they're the perfect escape from reality-for her and the audience. Then
Tinseltown calls.
Alternating between scenes reminiscent of everyone's favorite made-for-TV movies and unexpected, off-screen chemistry, Gingerbread Falls has surprises in store this holiday season. The question is, will there be enough Christmas magic to convince two imperfect people that they're perfect for each other?
This "sweet as a Christmas cookie" romance (bestselling author Heidi Swain) includes an original recipe for Maple Glazed Gingerbread Scones.
My Thoughts:
Not my favorite of this batch of Christmas romances.
It started off hitting every possible Hallmark movie trope—and there’s a reason for that. They’re shooting a movie for The Christmas Channel! The alternating stories were a fun way to go about telling the stories of our two characters.
What bothered me is that, from the beginning, we hear that Braxton has chosen Carrie to save his career. How did he decide on her? He’d never worked with her. He was going on hearsay and what he’d seen in the many, many Christmas movies she’d already done.
And, from the very
beginning, the author spends lots of time describing how aroused he is by being
in Carrie’s presence. All she has to do is sip some coffee and he’s in need of
a cold shower. This comes up over and over.
The story is cute, and the outcome is predictable. But this one just didn’t grab me like others.
There are a couple of spicy sex scenes, so reader beware. Some language as well.
Christmas with
Hamish
By Sophie
Penhaligon
ASIN: B09CLJJDBR
Publication date: November 1, 2021
Print length: 180 pages
Publisher’s Blurb:
Christmas has never been the most wonderful time of the year
for Verity Robinson. When her younger sister sends her an invite to her
Christmas wedding on the other side of the country in Vancouver, she decides to
kill two birds with one stone and plans a ski trip to Whistler with some old
friends. However, her dreams of a snowy Christmas on skis are thwarted by her
sister’s dog sitting crisis.
Instead of spending Christmas enjoying the après
ski alcohol, she is instead stuck minding Hamish McDuff for the next week. They
say that every cloud has a silver lining and for Verity the silver lining comes
in the guise of her sexy new neighbour, Nikau Taylor. Nikau seems determined to
help Verity eradicate her ghosts of Christmas past, but what will happen when
her time is up and it’s time to go home to Toronto?
This was a cute little holiday romance, only a three-hour
read. Verity is very damaged by her family’s treatment. When she grudgingly
attends her sister’s wedding, she meets Nikau and the attraction is instant.
This story features possibly the most adorable dogs ever (replacing the cute kid requirement of holiday romcoms). Nikau has his own difficult past to deal with, but is an optimistic, happy person, and is written maybe a little too good to be true. Likewise, Verity’s family is almost cartoonishly mean.
Nevertheless, the story was fun, with plenty of Christmas spirit and a satisfying ending. I’ve visited Vancouver and the city is a great setting for the story.
There are several f-bombs in this book, some sexy lingerie, and two fairly detailed sex scenes.
Always, In December
By Emily Stone
Publisher: Dell (October 12, 2021)
Language: English
Paperback: 416 pages
ISBN-10: 0593496876
ISBN-13: 978-0593496879
Publisher’s Blurb:
It started with a letter. It ended with a love story.
Every December, Josie posts a letter from her
home in London to the parents she lost on Christmas night many years ago. Each
year, she writes the same three words: Missing you, always. But
this year, her annual trip to the postbox is knocked off course by a bicycle
collision with a handsome stranger--a stranger who will change the course of
Josie's life.
Josie always thought she was the only one who
avoided the Christmas season, but this year, Max has his own reasons for doing
the same—and coincidence leads them to spending the holiday together. Aglow
with new love, Josie thinks this might be the start of something special.
Only for Max to disappear without saying
goodbye.
Over the course of the next year, Max and Josie
will find that fate continues to bring them together in places they'd
never expect. New York City. Edinburgh. The quiet English countryside. And it
turns out, Max had every reason to leave and every reason to stay. But what
does fate hold for Josie and Max as Christmas approaches again?
A devastating, romantic, life-affirming
love story, Always, in December will stay with readers long
after they've finished the last page.
This is a Christmas romance, but definitely not a romantic
comedy. While it does have a few of the expected moments, it is distinctly
difference. But the romance between these two characters is delightful. The
leads are well-rounded characters. Josie’s motivations are believable. Max’s
are hidden, although it wasn’t that difficult to figure things out. There are
the usual mistaken assumptions about each other that frequently stop things
from progressing. The ending, while sad, is believable and heartfelt.
There is some sex in the book, though not described in detail. A few curse words.
Mistle Text
By Whitney Dineen
and Melanie Summers
Accidentally in
Love #5
Publisher: 33 Partners & Indigo Group
(September 17, 2021)
Language: English
Paperback: 302 pages
ISBN-10: 1988891442
ISBN-13: 978-1988891446
Publisher’s Blurb:
Twas the text before Christmas…
Twenty-eight-year-old Holly Snow is the only
mother her five-year-old niece remembers. Three years earlier, when her sister
and brother-in-law were killed, Holly’s dream of becoming an international
flight attendant was put on hold so she could be home for baby Faith.
Holly is doing everything she can to keep the
rent paid, including working as an online travel agent, filing medical claims,
and cleaning apartments in her building. When her friend Toni tells her that
her boss needs someone to buy his Christmas gifts, she leaps at the
opportunity.
Tall, dark and Scroogy, investment banker,
Archibald Harrington is too busy to do his own Christmas shopping. When his
assistant tells him she knows of a professional shopper, he happily checks
another dreaded task off his holiday list. The last thing Archie is expecting
is for his hired elf to text him insistently to find out more about the people
on list.
The last thing Holly expects is to develop
feelings for grumpy man who’s stealing her Christmas spirit.
Will there be a Holiday miracle, or will Holly
and Archie miss their chance at love? Find out in the fifth installment of the
Accidentally in Love Series.
My Thoughts:
I’ve previously reviewed another in this series, Text in Show. I enjoyed this installment as well. Text messaging is a continual plot point, but not the only thing that keeps the plot going. Yes, down-on-her-luck Holly teaches Archie the true meaning of Christmas, but she learns a few lessons as well. Bonus Hallmark points for including an adorable little girl and a spunky best friend. Shopping on behalf of someone who’s too busy/grinchy to do it for themselves has been done before. So have pretend romances. But this didn’t feel overdone. I’m pretty sure I’ll read this one again! (TBH, I’ve purchased the rest of the books in the series, so you can pretty much tell how I feel about them!)
This is another one to file under “clean reads.”
Sleigh Bells on
Bread Loaf Mountain
By Lindy Miller
Publisher: Rosewind Books (December 7, 2021)
Paperback: 178 pages
ISBN-10: 164548078X
ISBN-13: 978-1645480785
Publisher’s Blurb:
Roxanne Hudson does not like the holidays.
They come with too many family obligations that take her away from work as a
rising fashion editor in New York City. But this Christmas might be Grandma
Myrtle’s last, and Roxanne’s parents want her to spend the holiday at the
family cabin in the Green Mountains. With her boyfriend out of the country for
a photo shoot, Roxanne decides to brave the long commute—and the wilderness—to
spend Christmas in Vermont.
This one goes under the “city girl climbing
the corporate ladder is too busy for Christmas” category. At fewer than 100
pages, it was a very quick read. I think I read this one plus one more on
Veterans Day as I recovered from my Covid booster.
To distinguish this one from the others, there’s a little bit of…magic? Fate? Something, as Roxanne keeps hearing sleigh bells that no one else can hear.
I’m sure you can figure out how things go, with the ex-boyfriend, with Mark, and with Roxanne’s family. It definitely follows the formula. However, the author also has a definite message about ties between the fashion industry and the prevalence of body-image problems and eating disorders.
Another one for your “clean reads” pile.
Pride and
Prejudice and Mistletoe
By Melissa De La
Cruz
Publisher: St. Martin's Press; First U.S.
Edition (October 17, 2017)
Hardcover: 240 pages
ISBN-10: 1250141397
ISBN-13: 978-1250141392
Publisher’s Blurb:
Darcy Fitzwilliam is 29, beautiful, successful, and
brilliant. She dates hedge funders and basketball stars and is never without
her three cellphones―one for work, one for play, and one to throw at her
assistant (just kidding). Darcy’s never fallen in love, never has time for
anyone else’s drama, and never goes home for Christmas if she can help it. But
when her mother falls ill, she comes home to Pemberley, Ohio, to spend the
season with her family.
Her parents throw their annual Christmas bash,
where she meets one Luke Bennet, the smart, sardonic slacker son of their
neighbor. Luke is 32-years-old and has never left home. He’s a carpenter and
makes beautiful furniture, and is content with his simple life. He comes from a
family of five brothers, each one less ambitious than the other. When Darcy and
Luke fall into bed after too many eggnogs, Darcy thinks it’s just another one
night stand. But why can’t she stop thinking of Luke? What is it about him? And
can she fall in love, or will her pride and his prejudice against big-city
girls stand in their way?
My Thoughts:
I wanted so much to like this book more than I do. I love Pride and Prejudice, and I love retellings of it. And, as previously stated, I also love Hallmark Christmas movies.
Although this book recognizably followed Pride and Prejudice, it let me down.
Darcy was just not very likable. She spends half the time drunk, or looking back on how she was better than everyone else in high school. It’s no wonder that she doesn’t have any friends.
The premise behind why Darcy left home and never looked back is particularly awful: her dad disowned her because she didn’t want to marry his chosen candidate and be a society wife. Ugh. In the 20th century no less.
Darcy flirts with Luke (while frequently drunk), but goes back to her fallback boyfriend in New York, and then bounces back from being in bed with him to wanting Luke. Not a cool look, Darce.
The best thing I can say about this book is that there is some reconciliation between Darcy and her father. Whoo.
This is a mostly clean read; Darcy sleeps with her boyfriend, but there’s no details. And she drinks. A lot.
A Christmas Courting
By Jennifer Moore, Chalon Linton, Heidi Kimball, Jen Geigle
Johnson
Publisher: Covenant Communications, Inc.
(October 1, 2018)
Paperback: 240 pages
ISBN-10: 1524407941
ISBN-13: 978-1524407940
Publisher’s Blurb:
Love and Joy Come to You by Jennifer Moore
Lord Covington has planned a quiet holiday with his grieving mother but finds
his plans rudely disrupted when lovely Cassie Weatherby and her young siblings
are invited for Christmas. Despite his reservations, however, he begins to
recognize in Cassie a kindred spirit.
A Christmas Courting by Chalon Linton
When obligations keep her in London, Keturah Hensley sadly anticipates missing
the festivity of Christmas at her family's country home and the company of her
best friend, Christopher Shepherd. When she learns that Christopher will be
joining her family in London for Christmas, she is delighted--but her elation
is short-lived. Christopher is coming to Town to court the woman of his dreams,
and Keturah fears she may have lost the chance to win his love.
Mistletoe Memories by Jen Geigle Johnson
From childhood, Patrick, Duke of Montrose, knew he'd found his perfect match in
Lady Alice Tarrington. When he's sent on a grand tour, Patrick is confident
he'll marry his sweetheart upon his return. But when he receives word that
Alice is to marry another, will he be too late to claim her heart?
Second-Chance Christmas by Heidi Kimball
Francie and Gerard have been friends since childhood, but their friendship
ended when she declined his heartfelt proposal of marriage. However, when her
interactions with Gerard's holiday houseguests provoke in Francie unexpected
jealousy, she realizes she must fight for Gerard's affections or risk losing
him forever.
My Thoughts:
Three of these four stories revolve around people who were, to all effect, childhood sweethearts who had grown apart for various reasons. Each has a different reason, and each has a different way of reconnecting. Each story is satisfying in its own way. I was somewhat frustrated by “Mistletoe Memories” and the reason why Alice and Patrick were distanced from each other, particularly all the social implications of what happened to Alice. The surprise in “A Christmas Courting” was really no surprise at all, and I’m a little disappointed in Keturah for not chatching on sooner. The odd one out in this collection is “Love and Joy Come to You”, which was probably my favorite of the three. Another one with cute kids to further the plot!
Totally clean. Chaste kisses are all you get here.
Miracle Creek Christmas
By Krista Jensen
Publisher: Shadow Mountain (September 8,
2020)
Paperback: 368 pages
ISBN-10: 1629727873
ISBN-13: 978-1629727875
Publisher’s Blurb:
When Riley Madigan moves to the sleepy mountain town of
Miracle Creek, she hopes her new job as a high school art teacher will help her
mend her recently broken heart. A little peace and quiet would be a gift this
Christmas season. The last thing on her mind is love.
Former firefighter Mark Rivers has spent the
last year recovering from burns sustained during a rescue operation. He's been
trying to piece his life back together but still struggles both emotionally and
psychologically. When he meets Riley, he finally sees something that might
bring some light back into his life.
When Mark asks Riley to work on a special
nativity project, he finds himself falling for her quirky, unaffected ways.
Riley doesn't seem bothered by his scars, but is her affection for him real, or
is this just another act of charity? One thing is for certain, in a small town
that views Mark as a fragile hero, it's hard to pursue a relationship without
everyone in his business. And although Riley has sincere feelings for Mark, is
she ready to risk her heart?
My Thoughts:
The second longest book in this batch of holiday romance reviews, the additional page count didn’t make it slower to read, but it definitely gave the author more time to develop the characters and their relationship. Once again, both characters bear scars—hers emotional, his physical—that prevent them from wanting connection. Nonetheless, they click, and the connection develops at a pretty good pace. There are the usual side trips, misunderstandings, drawing back, and obstacles, but we are led to the expected conclusion without it feeling forced. This is another one that has time for secondary characters to be well-drawn and have lives and personalities of their own, all to the benefit of the book.
Bonus points for being set in Washington east of the Cascades. Everyone forgets there’s an eastern side of Washington. While Miracle Creek seems to be fictional, many other towns are mentioned that are just a couple of hours away from where I live.
File under “clean reads”. There’s no cussing and no sex.
All Hearts Come
Home for Christmas
By Sarah M. Eden,
Anita Stansfield, Esther Hatch, Joanna Barker
Publisher: Covenant Communications, Inc.
(September 1, 2019)
Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-10: 1524411094
ISBN-13: 978-1524411091
Publisher’s Blurb:
Christmas at Falstone Castle by Sarah M. Eden
The Dowager Duchess of Kielder eagerly anticipates spending Christmas with her son and his family. Though their relationship has been strained, the duchess is determined to heal the chasm. Even with the help of the widowed local vicar, her plan will take a Christmas miracle. But during this magical season, anything is possible . . . even two second chances for love.
The Heart of Christmas by Anita Stansfield
When a chance meeting brings together a gentle seamstress and a widowed banker, each lonely soul finds a first hint of hope. As their lives become entwined, it will take Christmas spirit to guide a broken family to love and healing.
'Tis the Season to Be Daring by Esther Hatch
Elizabeth Davenport has had quite enough of the London Season. Determined to evade a parade of unsuitable suitors, she seeks help from the one gentleman who has no regard for Society's rules. All of Society knows Lord Hawthorne is not interested in marriage, yet he cannot deny Miss Davenport's unique charm. And as the Christmas season works its magic, their charade begins to feel less like playacting and more like love.
The Christmas Dress by Joanna Barker
Seamstress Nell Addington is thrilled when her childhood friend Jacob Hammond commissions a dress for his sister. But when Nell realizes her feelings for Jacob run far deeper than friendship, an unexpected snowstorm—and some holiday cheer—may convince them both that love is worth fighting for.
My Thoughts:
This collection was a mixed bag. The first story is a standalone but has close ties to other works by the same author. It was another second-chance romance, and I don’t mean just a second chance at love, but a chance for the Dowager Duchess to repair her relationship with her son as well.
The second story, “The Heart of Christmas”, was pretty meh. There was really very little conflict in it, so it came out as pretty bland. Addie lives a difficult life, and poof! A solution arrives at her door. She’s a kind, lovely person. So is Theo. She works her magic on his family, they fall in love, the end. Really. That’s it.
“’Tis the Season to Be Daring” was by far my favorite of the three. It was a hoot. I enjoyed both the lead characters so much, although Elizabeth definitely needed to learn a bit of a lesson about jumping to conclusions. This was so fun and full of joy, even during the few moments where Elizabeth was being angsty.
Finally, “The Christmas Dress.” It doesn’t stand out; it’s a fine story with some nice characters. The Rival for the Hero’s Attention is a sneak, and she’s fun to hate for the brief time she’s present.
This is another totally clean read.
All of these books
were provided by their respective publishers via NetGalley for my honest
review.
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