The Heart of Christmas by Mary Balogh, Nicola Cornick, and Courtney Milan

The Heart of Christmas: A Handful of Gold\The Season for Suitors\This Wicked Gift by Mary Balogh


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I don't have much to say about the first two stories, except that they were good. Both the Balogh story and the Cornick stories are reformed rake stories (it's fairly clear if you read my reviews that rakes are not my favorite types of heroes by far). I felt that the metamorphosis of Ms. Balogh's rake was a little more convincing. When I read a story about a rake, I really have to be convinced that he has depth, or he's just another one of far too many in historical romance. He's really got to stand out to get my regard. I felt that both rakes did have depth, but the brevity of the Cornick story didn't really allow me to buy into his redemption quite so well. On the other hand, the rake in The Season for Suitors had more reason for why he acted as he did, and he had a tortured past, but I think this story would have been better executed as a longer novella, despite the obvious excellence of Ms. Cornick's writing. Ms. Balogh's story was a reread for me. I liked it the first time, and the second time was just as good. However, I am a bit jaded with the theme, so I can't say I was blown away. I did like Verity quite a bit, and loved the aspects of Christmas, and the effect it had on the participants in this story. For A Handful of Gold by Ms. Balogh, I would give the rating of 4 stars. The Season for Suitors is a 3.5 star story.

The best story in this collection was by newcomer, Courtney Milan, This Wicked Gift. This story was like a refreshing drink on a hot day. I loved everything about this story. Ms. Milan's writing has an intensity and a depth that really enthralled me. It brought to mind some of my favorite historical romance writers who have a facility with the written word, and the beauty with which they employ it, such as Laura Kinsale and Judith Ivory. I believe that Ms. Milan has quite a career ahead of her. There is also the fact that William Q. White utterly seduced me. His intensity, his focus, his obvious feeling for Lavinia. I love that kind of hero. And then there's the fact that he's a working man. There's nothing I love more than a hero who works hard for his money, who pulls himself up by his own bootstraps. Out of all three of the stories, this is the hero that got my attention. I could care less about lazy heroes who have nothing better to do than spend their family's money. What's endearing about that. I'd take a man who made himself from nothing over a man who was born rich and is about nothing, any day of the week. That is not to say that I don't have favored heroes who were born in wealth, but they have to a drive, an inner intensity, to gain my appreciation. William is a man who has made my favorite hero list. His urgent need for Lavinia almost made me cry. He would have done something awful to keep her, but his integrity won out in the end. He made a very wicked proposition to have her for one night, but his reasons for doing it endeared him to me. And his remorse was very obvious and poignant. Lavinia also makes this story stand out. She is a very good person, and an extremely intelligent woman. She is easily as captivated and as in love with William as he is with her. She sees right through his wicked proposal, and takes him up on it for her own reasons. She's a heroine that goes after what she wants (him), and won't give up on it despite the odds against her. As I said above, this story was distinct and refreshing. It showed characters that we don't often get to see have a happy ending in historical romance. They aren't rich or titled. They are working class people, albeit extremely educated. I rooted for them to have their happy ending, hoping that their lives would not be dimmed by the blight of extreme poverty, despite their obvious devotion to each other. Thankfully, Christmas has some blessings in store for this wonderful couple. If you are a fan of historical romance, do yourself a favor and read Courtney Milan. I think you will find a wonderful reading experience when you do. This Wicked Gift earned five stars from this reader.

This was my last Christmas read for 2009, and the last book I read this year. I have to tell you, reading Courtney Milan's story in the last few minutes of 2009 was a great pleasure, and I look forward to spending more time with her (and hopefully more captivating heroes like William) in the new year and years to come.

Overall rating for this collection is 4 stars .

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Wolfsbane and Mistletoe

Wolfsbane and Mistletoe by Charlaine Harris


My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Well, I pulled this book back off the shelf this year for another go at it, after the false start last Christmas. I have listed my thoughts on each story in the collection:

Gift Wrap by Charlaine Harris. Sadly, I was not impressed with the Sookie Stackhouse story. I felt it was in bad taste. I don't think it's funny to have someone's great-great-great-great, etc- grandfather (even if he's an amoral faery) hooking up his many-times granddaughter with a man for the holidays. I guess I should lighten up, but I found that idea offensive. I'm not here to judge people's personal lives, but when it comes to fiction, there are some things I don't like, and this is in that area of gross-out, ick-factor-ville for me. I don't like to put down people's writing, but I found the story to be very barebones and poorly characterized. Sookie came off as being especially vapid in this story. In general, I don't think she's a very deep character. But I found her likeable in Dead Until Dark and the short story I read out of Powers of Detection Stories of Mystery & Fantasy. However, she was very one-dimensional in this story. I can't say who would be thrilled that her many times grandfather enforced a geis on his subject to pretend to be someone else and seduce her so she wouldn't be alone on Christmas. But she didn't seem that bothered. Whatever happen to gift cards as Christmas presents? For the vulgar nature of this story, I have to give it 1.5 stars. I realize that there is a huge Sookie Stackhouse following, and no offense. We all like what we like. But I was underwhelmed. This story made me put down this very promising volume for a year, and put me off the series. I'm glad my mother was willing to take my Sookie Stackhouse omnibi off my hands for the time being until I muster up the courage to give Sookie another try. That's my opinion, and I'm sticking to it.

The Haire of the Beast by Donna Andrews. This was a cute story. Short and sweet, and a bit of a twist on the werewolf genre story. I liked the inclusion of medieval scholarship and grimoires with recipes of various sorts. And there's a little bit of karma in store for an old flame who took credit for something he didn't do, but his ex-girlfriend, the protagonist, did. Recommended. 4 stars.

Lucy, at Christmastime by Simon R. Green. Not the best story I've read by Green, but pretty good. Very sad story. It takes place in the Nightside, but don't look for John Taylor in this one. However, the main character does make a visit to the Strangefellows bar to spend Christmas Eve. This story brings to ming the old school, sad werewolf tales. Recommended if you're not looking for a happy ending. 4 stars.

The Night Things Changed by Dana Cameron. Very interesting perspective on vampires and werewolves. They are good guys and are perpetually misunderstood by humanity, who they try to protect with their paranormal abilities. Dark and somewhat chilling, with some deeper meaning for a short tale. Recommended. 4 stars.

The Werewolf Before Christmas by Kat Richardson. What a great story to read around Christmastime. You must take a rather dark sense of humor into this story, for maximum enjoyment. It also helps if you believe in the magic of Christmas. I was quite shocked how it begins. Let's just say that Rudolph isn't around to lead Santa's reindeer after the first page of this story. This is my first time reading Richardson, and I'm glad I've been collecting her urban fantasy series. Recommended. 5 stars.

Fresh Meat by Alan Gordon. A great story for animal-lovers, particularly dog lovers. I've always believed in the intelligence of animals. Clearly the author does too. I love the loyalty shown by the protagonist's canine friends. This one brought a smile to my face, although it has some gruesome aspects. Recommended. 4.5 stars.

Il est Ne' by Carrie Vaughn. I wasn't sure what to expect with this story, but I ended up being very pleasantly surprised. It had a very good buildup of tension as Kitty meets a young male who has become a werewolf, and is not in control of his inner wolf at all. When a string of horrible murder mutilations occurs, he suspects himself, and Kitty has reason to do so as well. Together they try to find out if he is the culprit, and if not, to catch the real killer. Kitty also teaches the fledgling wolf how to manage the beast within. Short stories are very hard to execute, so I give props to writers who manage to pick so much into a short tale. This one left me with tears in my eyes, as it really struck clear to my heart with its message about learning to control the darkness inside of one's self, and the fact that it's never to late to go home. If I wasn't a fan of Ms. Vaughn after reading
Kitty and the Midnight Hour, I certainly would be one now. 4.5 stars.

The Perfect Gift by Dana Stabenow. Writers of sizzling werewolf romance should take note of the fantastic chemistry that Ms. Stabenow creates between her two protagonists, two police officers who happen to be infatuated with each other, although they are trying to follow the rules about fraternization. They both happen to be werewolves, although the male is latent. I love the way she builds up the intense attraction between the characters, letting it simmer in the backdrop as they track a family of serial killers. The climax is powerful as the hero, Lobison, comes to face the reality of his heritage, triggered by his powerful desire for his partner, Romanov, and the full moon. The interesting thing is that Ms. Stabenow doesn't even write romance. Well I hope she decides to do some more werewolf stories, because she really won me over with this short, sizzling, and satisfying tale. 5 stars.

Christmas Past by Keri Arthur. This was my first read by Ms. Arthur, and I must say I enjoyed it. In many ways, it read like a standard lovers reunited romance story, with a paranormal twist. Hannah is a human member of a paranormal unit, with the ability to sense evil, that is on the hunt for a supernatural serial killer. She is trying to deal with the fact that her werewolf co-worker Brodie dumped her last Christmas, and he's trying to insinuate his way back into her life and her good graces. Initially, I wanted Brodie to take a long walk off a short pier, but as his actions convince Hannah that he deserves a second chance, he starts to win my trust as well. While I won't be reading the Riley Jensen books, this story has convinced me to consider reading other works by this author that doesn't involve a lead character who engages in polyamory sexual encounters. 4 stars.

SA by J.A. Konrath. I was a bit worried with how this story started. I don't like body humor, particularly of the scatological variety. But this is a case of following the 'Keep Reading' edict, because this story was one heck of a fun ride. I laughed myself into a coughing fit. This was one of the funniest stories I've had the pleasure to read in a while. Imagine a group of people who turn into animals, called therioantropes. Then imagine that that they have the were-animal version of Alcoholics Anonymous. On top of that, their worst enemies are Santa Claus and the Salvation Army. It sounds incredibly stupid as a concept. But I have to say that Mr. Konrath did a fantastic job of pulling that premise off. This was a thoroughly enjoyable story, despite the scatological humor that was vaguely disgusting, but still managed to be in good taste. 5 stars.

The Star of David by Patricia Briggs revisits a character I met in Moon Called. David Christensen is a mercenary who is also a werewolf. I am so happy to see African Americans in urban fantasy, especially appealing characters like David. David is an honorable man who made a terrible mistake long ago, unable to keep his wolf under control, and lost his daughter's respect and companionship as a result. However, she needs his help to protect a foster teen who is in danger from some supernatural elements. This story was intense and involving, for all its shortness. I am impressed yet again with Ms. Briggs writing. She manages to create a very magical world in her stories, but the characters are very human, and you cannot help but care about them. David is no different. He is everything that a father should be, and I ached for him, that he felt his relationship with his daughter was lost forever. I hope that Ms. Briggs continues to include David and his family in her werewolf books. 5 stars.

You Better Not Pyout by Nancy Pickard manages to be humorous, yet gritty and scary at the same time. It's about two Russian vampires who decide to cut themselves in on vampire Santa Claus gig, which allows him unlimited access to many houses, and the warm, blood-filled bodies within, all year-round, since he is invited in on Christmas Eve to deliver presents. I was a bit horrified at the thought of a vampiric Santa. Part of me still believes in the spirit of Santa Claus (I know he's not real, but in a way he is real to me), so that really hit home with me. The Russian vamps were hilarious, as well as some of the Christmas vampire gags. The werewolf aspect was very cool. The werewolf is a female scientist who is devoted to protecting and saving the few African wild dogs that remain in existence. It turns out that they raised her from a pup, and she has never forgotten her allegiance to them. I just love the pack dynamics in werewolf stories. I have always thought of myself as more of a cat person, but I think I must be equally a dog person, because the nature and the sociology of dogs is very interesting to me. This story was very vivid. I could picture myself in the frigid cold of the North Pole, confronted with a Santa Claus from a horror fan's worst nightmares. This Santa scares me much more than a knife-wielding, homocidal-maniac Santa ever could. Even the reindeer were kind of menacing. I also loved the descriptions of Africa. How I wanted to be there, running with the pack. I really enjoyed this story. 5 stars.

Rogue Elements is my first Karen Chance story, but it won't be my last. The elements of the werewolf clans were so richly infused into this story. I love when a writer gives so much care to the werewolf lore and pack hierarchy, since I feel that werewolf stories are so neglected in urban fantasy. The weres are so much more interesting to me than vampires (although I am a big vampire fan), and the structure of werewolf clans in this story caught my interest right away. Great action, interesting characters, and a dash of sexual attraction and romance, all add up for a very pleasing read. I hope that Ms. Chance revisits this world in future stories. I'd like to see more adventures of the heroine, Accalia, who is a War Mage and is part Were, although she refuses to Change. Very interesting! 5 stars.

Milk and Cookies is by one of my favorite urban fantasy writers, Rob Thurman. I thought I'd miss a story without Cal and Nik, but this story kept me so drawn in, I realized that anything she writes is something I want to read. She tells one heck of a tale with this story of a young teen who is trying to deal with a bully (Yes, I know how he felt. I think I had a 'pick on me' sign on my forehead all the way through school.) Oh, how she draws you in for the twist that you don't see coming until this story is almost over. If you like coming of age stories, you should read this one. It will cause you to feel a bit uneasy, but it's worth the read. 5 stars.

Keeping Watch Over His Flock by Toni L. P. Kelner is one of those tales where you decide you do not like the protagonist, but you are forced to change your mind. I found Jake to be a complete and utter brat, with a major case of 'Teenager Who Drives Me Crazy' syndrome. Yet, I found I had to revise my opinion. I think we were all annoying teenagers, although we forget this as we age. The lessons that we learn are invaluable, allowing us to grow and to change from our selfish views of the world, to embrace the responsibility that we all have in the world to each other. This is Jake's journey in this tale. He is just finding the pack, having been an orphan, passed from foster home to foster home. He is having trouble getting adjusted to following so many rules, and observing traditions that seem just plain hokey to him. But he learns the real message behind the Christmas story about the wolf who watches over the baby Jesus on the first Christmas night. I loved that tale. It was so meaningful to me. What a unique idea to integrate werewolf myth into the Christmas story. And how it ties into the overall tale is wonderfully executed, as Jake learns that being able to enjoy the fruits of werewolf-dom also comes with a resonsibility to protect those in need of protection. Another scary view of Santa (thankfully not the real one in this case), but a human monster kind of scary. 4.5 stars.

This was a rocking cool collection. The only story I disliked was the Sookie Stackhouse story, but I won't let this bump the overall rating down too much. Because I was so happy with this collection, I'd give it an overall rating of 4.5/5.0 stars. I highly recommend this to werewolf fans. I don't think you'd be disappointed at the varied and delicious fare offered in Wolfsbane and Mistletoe.



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Christmas Ball by Jennifer Ashley, Emily Bryan, and Alissa Johnson

Christmas Ball by Jennifer Ashley


My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Christmas Ball was an enjoyable read, but not particularly amazing. I had trouble keeping my interest in the stories. I'm not sure if it was the time of year, being so busy, or that I just didn't find them overwhelmingly interesting.

The Emily Bryan story was unique in that the couple were of the working class. Jane is the illegitimate daughter of a noble, consigned to work as a maid in the very house of her father. She has grown up with her spoiled legitimate sister and an indifferent father who never really acknowledged her presence. Since she's the spitting image of her sister, she is blackmailed into pretending to be her sister to accept a marriage proposal from a nobleman, since her sister has run off with an impoverished Italian artist. Jane would have said no, but her father's steward threatened to let go of her sweetheart, Ian, a stablehand, without a reference. She can't let that happen, so reluctantly agrees to impersonate her sister. This story definitely had some good points. I liked Jane and Ian, and I thought that the writing was good and rich. However, it had a bit of a modern feel that I found distracting. I really didn't think it was appropriate when Jane and Ian made love on the bed of the Marquess of Hartwell, a complete stranger. That had an ick factor to me. I certainly wouldn't want some strange couple having sex on my bed. The point of view of various characters involved in the intrigues, such as the legitimate sister, Sibyl, her Italian lover, the future husband, and the steward, was interesting, giving a fuller view of the story. Overall, I would give this story as 3 stars.

Jennifer Ashley returns to the Nvengarian series in this story about Valentin, a half Logosh bodyguard and agent for Prince Damien, and Mary, who is the sister of Egan MacDonald, from Highlander Ever After. I haven't read that book yet, so some of what occurred prior to this story was new to me. It didn't affect my ablity to enjoy this story. I have to say that this story didn't enthrall me like some of Ms. Ashley's other work. It was well-written, and it has the power and flavor of her characteristic style. I don't know if I just wasn't too captured by the story of a widow well into her thirties with a grown son, and her illicit relationship with a fallen aristocrat working as a bodyguard/assassin, or what. I'm not a big fan of the secret/forbidden lovers theme, so maybe that was the problem. At one point, I thought Mary was being a bit judgmental and intractable. She seemed to be very snobbish towards English and a bit towards the Nvengarians. She definitely seems to believe that the Scottish world is the center of the universe. I admit that attitude did not endear her to me. I can certainly understand the Scottish dislike of the English, but at the same time, I think it behooves a person to think outside of her own culture to gain understanding of the decisions and behavior of others. I didn't like the way she dismissed Valentin's need for revenge, and his need to serve the Nvengarian Prince and Duke Alexander. Yes, he needed to move on and find purpose for his life, but the way she communicated this to Valentin, was abrasive and somewhat annoying to me. She didn't seem to be considering why he felt the way he did very much, in my opinion. In the end, she did come around, but I can't say that she's a favorite heroine of mine. Overall, this was a good story. 3.5 stars.

The last story by Alissa Johnson was definitely my favorite, although there wasn't a lot going on. This is definitely a regency romance, in which the whole plot deals with an earl, at the point of realization that he must marry and soon, who starts to court one young lady, but ends up being captivated by her plainer friend. You would have enjoy these kinds of stories to like this one. For this reader, it was interesting to see this couple get to know each other, and watch their love grow as they spent time together. I never felt like I was reading a modern novel disguised as a historical, which is a plus for this reader. I enjoyed the back and forth between the couple, and their banter. I liked how the connection between them was very deep and real, with good chemistry. It was nice to see that the hero was able to see the hidden depths in this young lady, and quickly realized that she was the perfect bride for him. There was a serious element with the heroine's dealing with her father, who was showing signs of what we would call Alzheimer's disease nowadays. Back then, he was just considered 'mad'. The poor heroine didn't really have much of a life, trying to keep a roof over her head, dealing with a father who cared more about his experiments than his daughter, and finally dealing with a father who was sinking deeper and deeper into his disease process. And she felt like she would have to walk away from this man she had loved for some time, because he would be very unlikely to want to marry a poor nobody with a crazy father. It was gratifying that the hero didn't even think twice about the fact that the heroine's father had mental illness. He loved her, and was more than willing to take on the burden of her father. I found the couple to be very likeable, and I rooted for things to work out between them. Although this was my favorite story, I did have trouble concentrating on the storyline at times. Again, I don't know if it's the time of year and having so much on my plate, and feeling pressure to get this read. All the same, I'm glad I read this story. 4 stars.

Overall, a good Christmas anthology. Certainly not one of my favorites, and not the most involving read, at times. But, in all fairness, with so much going on, it's pretty hard to concentrate on a book right now. All in all, Christmas Ball was a good way to spend a few hours around the Christmas holiday.

Rating: 3.5/5.0 stars .

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An Enchanted Season by Nalini Singh, Maggie Shayne, Erin McCarthy, and Jean Johnson

An Enchanted Season by Nalini Singh


My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
This is one of those short story collections that really surprised me, in a good way. I expected to only enjoy the Nalini Singh, but I liked or loved every story in the book. In fact, I might have liked three of them to the same degree as the Nalini Singh story. Gasp!!!! Don't tell anyone I said that!

I was really happy with the Erin McCarthy story. It's about friends who both want to be more, but are afraid to take the first step. And the great thing is it's love, not lust. They are a very cute couple, and you root for them to get together. It's good that the heroine's sister is more than willing to meddle on their behalf. The heroine comes from a witchy family, but is in denial about her powers. What happens to make her face her abilities is really funny. I'm not going to spoil you, but imagine what you might think about when your best friend (who you're in love and lust with) is above you on a ladder with his scrumptious rear in your face, and you have abilities. I'm sure you get the picture. There is also some zipper manipulation involved. That scene was a hoot, and it set the tone for this great story.

I've heard good things about Erin McCarthy, but I haven't taken the plunge. I'm not really into the sexy, modern romance stories, because most of them are fling, hookup stories. But this story was up my alley. It's about two friends who have a deep, intense love for each other that has lasted years. This story was HOT!!!! I mean, seriously. But it's traditional in the sense the they are in love and declare their love before they get naked. Not long after, there's a marriage proposal. How refreshing. I decided I might have to read some more of her books. I think my sister has some, so I might have to borrow them. I give this story 5 stars.

The Maggie Shayne story was pretty cute. It's about a man and a woman, who are the exact opposite in their feelings about Christmas. The heroine died, along with her family, for a few minutes, in a car crash, but her mother sent her back to earth because she was needed. She and her aunt who has multiple sclerosis (she takes custody of her niece), vow to celebrate Christmas with the vivacity that her mother always did. The heroine's a real believer in signs, and signs tell her to go back to her family's house, which has been abandoned for many years.

On the other side of this equation, is the hero, who hates Christmas, since his father died the day of Thanksgiving, leaving their family in a serious financial situation. He goes out of his way to avoid the holidays. He buys houses and fixes them up, and decides to squeeze in a viewing before the reluctantly going to his sister's house for Christmas. You can guess that the house he goes to look at is the heroine's family house. They end up getting snowed in, and the hero gets to realize the joy and meaning of Christmas with the infectiously sweet and joyful heroine. This was a pretty good story. I enjoyed it, so I'd give it 4 stars.

The Nalini Singh story is about Tamsin, the healer for the DarkRiver feline shapeshifter pack, and her mate, Nate. She comes home from training and is ready to continue her role as the healer for the pack. She wants to continue the healing process from the attack that left several pack members dead (including future alpha Lucas's mother, who was the healer, and his father) in all ways. She decides to encourage the pack to celebrate Christmas by inspiring them to decorate for Christmas.

The mating bond manifested itself very early between Tamsin and Nate, when she was fifteen, and Nate was twenty-five. Of course, they could not act on it at that age. Four years pass, and Nate has put a strangehold on the mating bond, leaving both of them with emotional deficits, and pent up sexual desire as a result. Tammy thinks that Nate does not want to be her mate, but the mating bond is not something that can be rejected. She decides to try to seduce him into making their mating real, but Nate resists her at every turn. He is afraid of staking his claim while she's so young. She had to step up to the plate as healer at seventeen, when their healer died during the attack by another shapeshifter pack. He fears she has not been able to enjoy her youth, and the demands of being his mate will be too much for her, because of what happened with his parents because his parents mated young.

I could understand what his issues were, but frankly, Nate worked on my nerves. He was being a macho butthead, and trying to make decisions for Tammy, instead of allowing them to work together and come together for their mutual benefit. I wanted to knock some sense into him. Of course, he comes around in the end, but not before I was ready to pull out my shovel to hit him with. I realize that Tammy was young at 19 (chronologically), but it was clear that she knew what she wanted...him, and she's very mature for her age. Everyone in the pack knows she's really to fully be his mate. He was being very hurtful inadvertently. Since she was in contact with his former love, that really rubbed things in for her. She felt like he didn't find her desirable as a woman, and couldn't love her. It was kind of hard and frustrating to read. I decided I was glad this was a short story, because I would have gotten really tired of this, had it been a full-length story. I had an issue with the epilogue too, wondering why they had to wait FIFTEEN years to have kids. Come on!!! Anyway, I would give this 4.5 stars (I took off 0.5 stars for the annoyance factor). It was a very good story, because Ms. Singh is a fantastic author, despite the frustrations that Nate caused me. Imagine how poor Tammy felt! It was nice to see the beginning of a favorite paranormal series, and to see Lucas and Dorian as young teenagers. Worth the read.

The last story was by a new to me author, Jean Johnson. I really liked this story. It was a different spin on the Christmas story with the three wisemen (except they were two women and one man), and an affianced couple who has been weighted down with financial worries and other cares, that they haven't had time to spend cherishing each other. They get snowed in at the couple's inn, along with three youths from town, who came to remind them in a not so nice way that they owe money for their mortgage, or they will lose their inn. It just occurred to me that they were probably the shepherds from the Christmas story. There was a dairy cow that was about to give birth (a metaphor for Christ's birth, I suppose). I didn't like that she had a male, which would end up being sold for veal (I have some issues with veal, so that was a downer for me).

This was a really meaningful story about love and how miracles really do occur. Not to get religious on anyone, but it had personal meaning for me. It reminded me that God knows all my needs, and he will meet then when they need meeting. He's watching over me. I shouldn't worry and lose my joy in the meantime. This sweet story brought tears to my eyes because of the deep meaning and the way that everyone came together to help each other, giving of themselves. I'm a sucker for those kinds of stories. What can I say? Although there was something about the narrative that was a little dry at times, I still found this story very good. I'd give it 4.5 stars.

And so, I'm offering this simple review, to kids from 17 to 92, and so it's been said, many times, many ways, this was a great story collection to celebrate a Merry Christmas, and I'm recommending it to you!

Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.

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Bedded at the Billionaire's Convenience by Cathy Williams

Bedded at the Billionaire's Convenience by Cathy Williams


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The word 'mistress' needs to be struck from the vocabulary of the editors and the writers for this series of romance novels. It is so nineteenth century. And just a heads up here, a woman is not a man's mistress if he does not support her and she is not his beck and call, sexually or otherwise. Thus, this term does not apply to Georgie, whatsoever. I guess the person who writes the blurbs thought that us Harlequin Presents readers were so unenlightened, that we wouldn't buy this book unless the blurb included 'mistress' in the description. Here's a lesson to you: I hate the mistress concept. When I get a Harlequin Presents in the mail or pick one up in the store, seeing this outdated, sexist term is a turnoff to me. I will read the book if I like the author and the story sounds interesting otherwise. But I would prefer never to read another book where the heroine is the hero's mistress. It offends my 21st century sexual egalitarianism principles. Okay, you might ask why I read these books. Because they are good, and entertaining, and a nice way to spend a few hours, allowing me to recharge, relax, and let off some steam. Because they are fun to read, I am prepared to overlook some of the way un-PC aspects, most of the time.

PSA over. Review begins: Georgie approaches Pierre at his elite gym in London to explain that she more or less said they were engaged because his mom has been really depressed since her stroke, with little to take interest in, and she thought knowing that her son was engaged would help. Of course, Pierre is livid. He doesn't even like Georgie. She's too disorganized, too down-to-earth, too scatter-brained for his tastes. He likes his women cold-blooded, into making money, intellectual, and willing to get horizontal without feelings involved. This is about 180 degrees opposite to Georgie's personality.

Georgie heartily disproves of Pierre's life style. The fact that he barely ever comes home to see his mom, that he is way too fixated on making money, and city living, and his colorless, snooty, boring girlfriends. She thinks that he's forgotten the important things in life. But she's a good friend with his mom, and she wants for Didi to get better. So she takes a chance and says they are engaged.

Pierre goes along with the charade, because Georgie answering his phone at 10:30am when he offers to let her stay in London, really gives the impression that they are 'together.' Also out of concern for his mother whose hippish, country lifestyle with his deceased father was something he never agreed with, although he does love her.

This odd couple spends more time together, and develop a liking and attraction for each other. Georgie is very wary of Pierre, knowing he's not the home and hearth type. She doesn't like his materialistic values, and she feels that he looks down on her simple living. Although Pierre feels that Georgie is way too 'messy' in her life for him, and he doesn't care for her 'flower-child-like' dress sense, Pierre comes to realize that Georgie is very sexy in a way that none of his other girlfriends were, and why not make their association real for the time being?

I enjoyed this book. I liked the back and forth between Pierre and Georgie. I liked that Georgie wasn't beholden to Pierre or under his thumb. She had her own career and her own home, and was perfectly happy with her life in the country. Pierre was the one who had some issues he needed to work out. He resented his family for their organic farming ventures, and the fact that they squandered their money on schemes destined to fail. He focused on making and keeping his money, and became more and more cold-hearted in a sense. Georgie brings a part of him to life, and he realizes how much he loves his mom, and enjoys being around her. Georgie and Pierre have good chemistry (although the love scenes are not fully described. Part of them would be shown, and part wouldn't. Which I thought was weird, but oh well.)

I was actually okay with Pierre to a certain extent, although I wished he hadn't kept his family at a distance, but I can't judge him for that. He might be rich, but he didn't have much quality of life. I think spending time with Georgie and his mom helped him to realize what he was missing out on, but eventually that scared him. He made me mad on the part where he sees a tender smile on Georgie's face and decides it's time to cut and run. I thought that was very cowardly of him, and low down. But he ends up realizing what he almost let slip through his fingers when he goes back to town, and his mom tells him that Georgie has a new boyfriend after three months pass. Of course, he goes running because he doesn't want any other man to have her. (Rolling eyes.) Men!

This was a fun book. I stayed up way too late reading it, and I'm paying for it today. Definitely recommended, if you don't mind the incomplete love scenes.

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A Christmas Carol, The Chimes, and The Cricket on the Hearth

A Christmas Carol, The Chimes, and The Cricket on the Hearth by Charles Dickens


My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Christmas Carol was wonderful. It was just like seeing the movie, but better, because prose on paper really stimulates the imagination much more. Scrooge is a man who had lost his hope, and it showed in how his heart seemed to shrink, and his world with it. He got a second chance when he was visited by the three ghosts on a cold Christmas Eve. Just like the movie, this story made me cry. I guess some would call me sentimental. I don't know if that's the right word. But I love to see a person go from the dark to the light emotionally. This is the evolution we see with Scrooge.

5 Stars. If you love the movies, you really should read this story. I don't think you'd regret it. It is very readable and keeps your interest.

I can't really say that for The Chimes. This story moved pretty slowly, and it took a while to figure out where Dickens was going. At first, it read like a satire against the upper class and the government in its treatment of the poor and the working class. Then it seemed as though it was a story about being grateful for what one has and appreciating the time that you have with your family. It was an ambitious story, and I liked the elements of the ghosts of regret (I think) that manifested themselves as the chiming of bells that Totty, our protagonist, makes his daily routine around. Some parts were really tedious, and some parts were beautiful and poignant. At the end, I could only give this one 3.5 stars because it was a difficult and somewhat unrewarding read for this reader. If you have read The Chimes, I would love some feedback on what you believe was the point of this story.

I have started The Cricket on the Hearth, and it's really hard to focus my attention on the writing. I haven't given up yet! Soldier on!

Update: I've come to the conclusion that life is too short to keep trying to read The Cricket on the Hearth. It's dreadfully boring. I can feel my hair growing as I try to read it. I feel that I did my best with it, and I'm calling this one a day. I will have to give this one a rating of 1 star because it was too boring to finish reading.

So my overall rating is four stars, because of my love for A Christmas Carol, and my half-hearted enjoyment of The Chimes. I pray that Dickens' longer fiction isn't dry like this. I'd really like to read some of it.

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A Wicked and Wondrous Christmas by Christine Feehan

The Wicked and the Wondrous by Christine Feehan


My rating: 4.75 of 5 stars
The Twilight Before Christmas:
Finally I have gotten to read Kate Drake's story. So that leaves me one more Drake sister book to complete (Dangerous Tides--Libby's story). All in all, I found The Twilight Before Christmas to be a great story. I can't give it 5 stars, because it did drag a little in some parts. It's probably a 4.25 star story.
What I liked about it:
*Matt's adoration for Kate was very endearing. It was funny how he felt like he made a fool out of himself in front of her, and how she made this very physically-accomplished guy act clumsy and wreck three cars. I like that although he became enamored of her when she was fifteen and he was college age (I'm going to assume he was maybe 19 or 20), he didn't act on it, but left to her grow up. Plus he joined the military and Special Forces. Some might argue that this was just an infatuation, but the fact that he had these feelings for so many years suggests that this is not the case. When this book rolls around, Matt is in full hero-in-pursuit mode, although gentle and wooing about. Matt was a very nice guy.
*The humor in this story was great (which I alluded to above). Poor Kate thought that Matt's brothers were laughing at her, because she always felt clumsy and inadequate around Matt in their interactions. They were really laughing at their brother, and how stone cold cupid-struck he was for Kate. This story had lots of other family interactions that made me laugh. Christine Feehan really is a funny lady, for all the angst and darkness in her stories.
*Family and friends--always a good thing for this reader, although sometimes I get a little bored with some of the descriptions of various denizens of Sea Harbor. I like the Drake books best when they focus on the family and immediate friend interactions than talking about such and such and who did what around town. I felt a little cheated because we didn't really see too much Damon in this story. He's a cool character for me. What can I say? I love nerdy guys. And Damon, well, he's brilliant. Smart is sexy. So: I.Wanted.More.Damon! Loved seeing all the Drake sisters. What a cool bunch of women. Since I read Hidden Currents just before this book, it was nice to see the beginnings of the bond between Jackson and Elle. Sadly, no Ilya or Alexsandr :( I love me some Jonas, and he's in this one a lot. You can tell he has it bad for Hannah.
*Very cool gothic, scary, creepy angle. The ghostly villain, shall we say, reminded me of the creepy Old Man from Poltergeist II. It goes without saying that it was a bit scary in moments since I refuse to watch that movie since I saw it the first time. The backstory behind the haunting was very interesting, and Ms. Feehan utilized it very well to tell us a little about the history of Sea Harbor and a bit about the Drake ancestors who settled in this seaside town. The scary parts probably dragged out a little too long for me, but overall, I enjoyed it.
*Kate and Matt--Although I could see where Kate was coming from with her fears that she was a mis-match for Matt, the man was clearly in love with her and adored her. Say yes already! I doubt the man was going to change his mind after being in love with her for what I estimate is over ten years. So that part was a bit frustrating for me. Great love scenes (as usual).

All in all, a nice story, and just right for this time of year. I liked the message about religious tolerance and the fact that we can all be united in some way, even if we don't share the same beliefs.

After the Music:
After the Music was the second story in this volume. I loved it. Music is in my heart, and I am definitely getting the impression that Ms. Feehan is a big music fan. She really seems to get the power of it, and how it can consume a person, and how great it is when someone is gifted to bring music to life in a wonderful way.

This has a very prominent gothic theme to it. I'm not a big fan of romance stories where accidents happen and you spend the whole story trying to guess who the culprit is. But I think this one was well-done. By and large, I enjoyed the time spent sifting through the clues and trying to figure out who the villain was, and discarding suspects. It got a little frustrating when the mystery plot seemed to be a frequent cause of coitus interruptus in this story. As frustrated as this made me, I'm sure that it was worse for Dillon and Jess. Although I liked that there wasn't insta-sex in this story, and there were actually plenty of love scenes, especially for a short story. My one issue is that the kids were in the house and they knew what they were up to. Okay, I admit I'm a prude about such things (when it comes to unmarried couples)!

This story has some really dark elements in it. Dillon is a widower who lost his wife after she was shot with her lover, on a night in which their house burned down and killed seven others. Dillon was accused of the crime, tried, and acquitted. The worse part is all the people who died (including Dillon's wife) were involved in Satanic worship, drugs, and sexual orgies, and the ringleader actually grabbed Jessica and tried to use her as a sacrifice. Whew! What was really hard for me is to understand that all this was going on with kids in the house. I'm very particular about kids and what they should be exposed to. I admit I don't have any, but I do feel that kids should be protected from stuff like this. Dillon carries a lot of guilt because he felt he should have intervened more when his wife started this downward slid into addiction and dark religious practices and sex with other men. He was too busy traveling and performing and making music. Compounding his guilt was his fascination/fixation/love for Jess while he was married, which I want to make clear that HE NEVER ACTED ON THAT. They were really good friends, and they bonded in their mutual love for music and the kids.

Dillon is a bit on the tortured side, but it's not dragged out or annoying in how it's executed. He had been scarred horribly by the fire that happened eight years ago, which took his family (Jess and the kids away). He had some long years of recovering, and he has lost some of his dexterity in playing instruments, but decided to compose and sing when some of the old bandmates convince him to make another record to reinvigorate their careers. So the bandmates are in the house, along with Brenda (his dead wife's sister), and her husband. You have to decide which one of them is perpetuating the accidents that endanger the twins and Jess.

Dillon and Jess are one of those couples I really wanted to see together, which is why the coitus interruptus kept bothering me. And also why I could get pass the fact that they were having their interludes with young, impressionable kids in the house (thirteen year old twins.) I was rooting for things to work out for them because they were such a good couple and so in love. I think they were soulmates.

I won't keep blabbing on and on, since this is a short story. I liked the execution of this one, and the whole paranormal element was good. As I said earlier, I loved the music elements. Both Dillon and Jess are very talented musicians, which you get to see in this story. I thought the kids were fun and interesting. Their dialog seemed likely for kids that might be on the intelligent, more mature side. Jess and her mom did a great job raising them, because they were good kids. I liked how the bonds were rebuilt between Dillon and his kids. Although the gothic mystery romance genre is not my favorite (with a few exceptions, including Jane Eyre, and most books by Anne Stuart), I really enjoyed this one. I'd give After the Music five stars.

So my total rating for this collection is: 4.75 . It would have been higher if The Twilight Before Christmas didn't have the draggy parts.

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