Christmas Promises: The Christmas Eve Bride/A Marriage Proposal for Christmas/A Bride for Christmas by Lynne Graham, Carole Mortimer, and Marion Lennox

Christmas Promises: The Christmas Eve Bride\A Marriage Proposal for Christmas\A Bride for Christmas by Lynne Graham

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars


I'd better finally write my review for this before it disappears into my mind forever.

This was a surprise find on my library's trade shelves, and I grabbed it because it had stories by Lynne Graham and Carole Mortimer. To my surprise, my favorite story was by Marion Lennox, who I had not read before.

The Lynne Graham story is very much in the vein of her full-length romances.  The heroine who is young and bubbly, and becomes an unwitting sex toy for the hero (granted he fell in love with her, but he treated her like a sex object). He dumps her because he thinks she spills the goods on his sex life to a tabloid, and it turns out she got pregnant.  Now she's working as a landscaper on the estate of a business associate and Rocco sees her and is reminded that he's not over her, despite his contempt. This story rubbed me the wrong way. I felt the heroine allowed the hero to treat her with minimal respect.  She didn't stand up for herself enough and was willing to go back to him because she loved him and because he was her baby's father. I think he owed her a lot more than she was willing to accept from him.  I don't like that in a relationship when the hero doesn't respect the heroine as his equal. In my mind, I don't see Rocco treating Amber as an equal.  Graham is a good writer even when she's not at her best. But this one just offended my sensibilities too much.  I couldn't give it more than three stars.

Carole Mortimer's story is a bit ho-hum in the sense that it's almost drama free (I admit that I am a drama hound, so I missed it).  It's a decent Christmas romance, and the hero was a nice guy. He palliated my senses after the first arrogant, and in my mind, sexist hero.  He was more of an everyday kind of guy (although wealthy). Cally has the wrong idea about Noel, and she comes to realize that he's actually a good guy.  Cally has some issues in her past that made her reluctant to trust, but I liked how Noel earns her trust by being a straightforward decent guy and showing his love for her and her daughter. The family interactions (since Noel's family descends on them en masse) were good and what you'd want in a Christmas story. This was more of a 3.5 star read.

Lastly, Marion Lennox was a pleasant surprise. There is something very fresh about this story. I admit I was really impressed with the fact that the hero is a wedding planner. And no, he's not gay.  Yay to bursting stereotypes. Guy's cold and precise and a bit snooty, but it's clear that he has a heart underneath that he buried due to tragedy in his past. The heroine was also refreshing in that she was a very down to earth girl who likes her quiet, small town life and embraces family obligations.  She's a widow who has dedicated her life to taking care of her son who was burned badly in the accident that killed her hubsand and is recovering slowly from that debilitating accident.    I loved her bond with her family-in-law and that she happily embraces their eccentricities.  Her son made me cry, I mean big time. I can't believe how mean people are to people with disabilities and physical differences, but I could see what a good man (and a potential family man in the making) Guy was in how he interacted with Henry.  I just plain liked this story, maybe because it taps into my fascination with wedding planning and my love for kooky people who don't read the book as far as being trendy and fitting in.  Lennox also touches on the phenomenon of celebrity, since Guy is a celebrity wedding planner.  Although this couple falls in love over a short time period, I believe in their happy ending. I have to give this four stars.

Because the first two stories weren't as satisfying, I'd have to give this one 3.5 stars.



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30 Scripture Readings for Christmas complied by Christopher D. Hudson

30 Scripture Readings for Christmas by Christopher D. Hudson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is basically a compilation of scriptures distributed into bite-sized readings over the 31 days of December. Some are more directly focused on the story of the Christ child, and others delve into his majesty and identity as the savior of all humanity and his fulfillment of the ancient prophecies that foretold of God's promise to reunite and redeem humanity through his Son. The scriptures featured are both Old and New Testament and show the unbreakable link between Mosaic Scriptures, and the work of the Prophets (looking forward to the awaited Messiah) and the New Testament, which focuses on the arrival of Jesus the Messiah. It worked very well as a devotional during the very busy month of December. It serves a dual purpose of reminding believers why Christmas has crucial spiritual importance and also as a reminder of our hope in Jesus. It's fairly no frills, but it serves its purpose and the scripture was food to this reader's spirit.

30 Scripture Readings for Christmas was a gem of a free read on Amazon. I could see me reading it again next year. It's great for readers who want to follow the scriptures through the Christmas story in December, but it could work any month, honestly. After all, the promised and fulfilled hope of Christmas can live everyday in our hearts.

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A Grosvenor Square Christmas by Anna Campbell, Shana Galen, Vanessa Kelly, Kate Nobel

A Grosvenor Square Christmas by Anna Campbell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This was such an exciting free book deal on Amazon Kindle. I am an admitted huge fan of Anna Campbell, so I ran to get it when she said it was free in her newsletter. What a pleasant surprise that I enjoyed all the stories more or less equally. One caveat, if you don't care for very short romance stories at all, give this one a miss.

The premise was quite pleasing. This collection of stories revolve around the concept of a ball held by a particular doyenne of the ton known for throwing a Christmas ball where a particular couple finds their true love match.  You would think the stories would be samey with this idea. In fact, quite the contrary. Each story had a different feel. In fact, you could go down the list and suggest themes for historical romance and this short collection more or less covers the gamut.

I liked the fact that an older heroine finds a second chance at love in Shana Galen's story.  The inclusion of a Scarlet Pimpernel-type hero who rescued her and her son from the bloodthirsty French revolution and the fact that that same man has been in love with her for many years made this a delightfully romantic story. I didn't think I would enjoy having a heroine with grown sons as the main character, but it didn't bother me at all. I liked it, in fact. 

Anna Campbell's story was the most passionate.  I am not much of a fan of forbidden lovers, but she makes the desperate, illicit passion work in this story. Plus the hero is delightfully Scottish.  The heroine is of the Cinderella variety, so you have to be in the mood for a downtrodden heroine. However, the romantic in me loves how the hero makes her long-cherished wish come true at the end.

Vanessa Kelly has a nice guy hero who is sorely lacking in historical romance. Thanks to her for that. While I love bad boy, dangerous heroes, I also love sweet, kind heroes and I like the idea that the hero can be that really adorable guy that always has a kind word for a wallflower and is a really good friend. This story hit my 'aww' button.

Readers who like friends to lovers stories will enjoy Kate Noble's offering.  Our hero realizes that he took his next door neighbor and boon companion for granted when he returns to find her a diamond of the first water who has no time for him, despite her tomboy past. I liked the turnabout is fair play aspect of this story. It also reminded me of movies like Sabrina, where the hero realizes that his heroine has been there waiting for him all the time when he is about to lose her.

All in all, a very enjoyable, and quick read that this reader enjoyed when she collapsed exhausted on her bad on Christmas evening.  I am so grateful that this was a free Christmas present on Amazon.  Thumbs up!




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The Magic Of Christmas: A Christmas Child \ The Christmas Dove \ A Baby Blue Christmas (Harlequin Historical Series) by Carolyn Davidson, Cheryl St.John, Victoria Bylin

The Magic Of Christmas: A Christmas Child \ The Christmas Dove \ A Baby Blue Christmas by Carolyn Davidson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Another late posting review.  This short story collection is great for readers who want historical western romance Christmas stories with a baby(ies) involved in the story.   

Out of the three books, Cheryl St. John's story "A Baby Blue Christmas" was definitely my favorite.  In this story, we actually get two babies, newborns, who are found in the stable owned by our hero, Turner.  The heroine is related to their mom, but she allows Turner to assume she is their mother, so she can continue to care for them. Turner is a gruff hero who has a soft heart, especially for these two abandoned babies and their so-called mother.  This story shows St. John's wonderful touch a crafting endearing 'beta' heroes that make you love them.  Turner has a reason to keep at a distance from Gabrielle because of a past loss, but he really steps up and meets their needs.  I admired Gabrielle for her loyalty to the mother of the babies, and especially the babies themselves. She stops at another to ensure that they get the best start in life.  Although the babies are a huge part of the storyline, St. John doesn't stint on providing a heartwarming romance as well.  I was very happy with this story, so I gave it 4.5 stars.

Although "A Christmas Child" wasn't a bad story, it was my least favorite. The writing didn't touch me that deeply, even though I admire Carolyn Davidson's storytelling abilities generally.  On one hand, I did like Marianne a lot.  She does rather remind me of Mary, Jesus' mother, which was probably intentional. The story set up kind of brings the original Nativity story to mind, but with a different twist.  The hero is a pastor with a kind heart, who falls pretty hard and quickly for Marianne. However, I just didn't feel a big connection to this story in the way I did with the other two, and the small-mindedness of the town inhabitants towards Marianne was irritating to me.   This one rated three stars.

"The Christmas Dove" by Victoria Bylin gives us a reunion romance between two souls who knew each other when they were young and wild, and to whom maturity brings a change of heart and a depth of character.  Dylan is a great hero.  He was once a callow hellraiser who realized he was wasting his life on carousing and playing around.  Maddie was a spoiled rich girl who deigned to play around with him, even though he was way beneath her, and she runs off with a gambler when his flash attracts her adventuresome spirit.  When his lost love, Maddie returns considerably fallen from grace as an unwed mother, he shows an incredible amount of grace to her, remembering his own past.  While she hates herself for the bad decisions she makes, he supports her and builds her up with unconditional love. In return, Maddie has learned about what has true value in her life, and she has to gain the courage to reach out to a man who shows her with true love is. This story has a deeper message that speaks to me, and ties into this season very well, that no one is truly lost and beyond hope.  The writing was eloquent and touching, and the characters were very well-developed despite the story's short length.  This one earned four stars.

Overall, this was a successful and enjoyable short story collection to read around the Christmas holiday.  Each story has an enjoyable western vibe and showcase some of the feelings and impact of the holiday.  I enjoyed it, so my overall rating stands at four stars.



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A Historical Christmas Present by Lisa Kleypas, Lyndsay Sands, and Leigh Greenwood

A Historical Christmas Present by Lisa Kleypas

My rating: 4.3 of 5 stars


A Historical Christmas Present lives up to its name with three enjoyable, Christmastime historical romance stories. 

"I Will" is actually a favorite reread of mine.  I think is my third time reading this story. I loved it just as much.  I think that Ms. Kleypas found just the right story to bring the Christmas mood to this reader. This is a story about redemption and second chances. How hope comes in very unexpected packages, just like the baby born in a manger over two thousand years ago.  Kleypas gives us the unredeemable rake and matches him up with a spinster who has the key to his very hidden heart.  I loved both characters, even at their worst.  Andrew has a ways to go, but love changes him, and his transformation takes place so believably in this 100 or so pages story, a testament to Ms. Kleypas' formidable writing skills. Of course this one gets five stars.

"Three French Hens" by Lynsay Sands is my least favorite story, but it has some stiff competition. This one is a medieval-set story that brings to mind "The Prince and the Pauper", where a lowly kitchen maid is talked into masquerading as a lady when Lady Joan is forced to spend time with her betrothed during holiday celebrations.  Sands is known for her slapstick-type humor and some of that is on offer.  It's a good story, although it doesn't quite feel as period as I would have liked.  I think that she ties up the story very well, and I was happily surprised at the reveal near the end.  It's a good story, so I'd give it 3.5 stars.

Leigh Greenwood ends this collection with a pleasing note with "Father Christmas". I have an enormous weakness for western historical romances, and this story reminded me of why I love them so much.  Joe is a rough, gruff prison escapee with a heart of pure gold. The lovely ladies he gets charge of via his rascally deceased partner have him like a pile of mush in no time flat. Although love happens fast, it was completely credible.  Joe never had a home, and he finds one with Mary, her stepdaughter Sarah, the baby she's expecting, and on their small ranch property.  I just adored Joe, and Mary is a sweet, and likable heroine.  I loved little Sarah, and I enjoyed how Samson, Joe's dog, his horse General Burnside, and even an ornery cow that Joe names Queen Charlotte also have pivotal roles in this beautiful little tale.  I guess you can tell this is a five star read for me.

I was so happy to be able to fit this collection into my Christmas reads.  It was an enjoyable book that definitely added to my Christmas mood.  Thumbs up. 

Overall rating: 4.3 stars/5.0 stars.



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The Twelve Nights of Christmas by Sarah Morgan

The Twelve Nights of Christmas by Sarah Morgan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Twelve Nights of Christmas is the feel-good kind of romance that a reader can pull off the shelf when they want an easy read that will infuse them with Christmas good vibrations. I endorse it with a four star rating.

Why?

Well, it's simple. The storyline is easy to follow, the characters are well-developed but surprisingly likeable, and it's a story about rekindled hope when things seem dark. Christmas to me is about hope and I love the idea that a short book can give me that feeling of Christmas with a good story.


What I liked:

Honestly, I liked that while I was prepared to dislike Zio as the hero, it didn't take too long before I realized that I did like him. In fact, I felt kind of sorry for him. He had a bad case of tunnel vision and living inside a box syndrome (enchained by his past). Because of a very rough event (actually quite horrid) as a child, he absolutely abhored Christmas. Now I am like Evie, I absolutely love the holiday, but I can understand how people can attach the day with memories of really bad events that took place around Christmas. I felt a lot of sympathy for him because of that. On top of his less-than-ideal childhood was the betrayal he faced at the hands of another person. That was sort of a case of bringing something on yourself because of the choices you made, but it was still pretty lousy to go through. But I really appreciated was how he showed some fortitude and rose to the occasion in that situation. Even though I didn't like a lot of things about his lifestyle, I feel that Sarah Morgan makes him surprisingly sympathetic. He had some hidden depths that I appreciated, and he was honestly a decent guy considering everything.

I loved Evie. Yes, she is a bit of the too good to be true heroine, but it works for this book. She had some self-esteem issues that would bother some readers, but I don't mind because I think that is true of many woman to be self-conscious about their looks and their appeal to men, especially when they were recently dumped. I think her spunk and her willingness to tell it like it is with Zio saved her from being too much of a Pollyanna. At the beginning, I had trouble understanding why she would have trusted what the sleazy lunkhead Carlos told her about staying in the penthouse. It was a bit of a contrived plot device, but the story get better from there. Most definitely, I have to say that her sweet nature was infectious. She's actually what I enjoyed the most about this book. I loved the scene at the party where she drinks too much champagne (her first experience with it), and charms everyone, including two grumpy Russian billionaires with her heretofore hidden prowess at languages and her stirring rendition of "The Twelve Days of Christmas." The scene where she takes Zio shopping to prepare for a very special event was hilarious and heartwarming. It sort of reminded me of the movie "The Gameplan" with The Rock, which turned out to be one of my favorites even though I generally avoid family movies like that (although sometimes I end up loving them very much). I guess you could say this is a less offensive version of Pretty Woman (I'm sorry, but I found that movie's storyline really offensive, but if you liked it, that's cool for you).

I should add that Evie had a lot more agency and power in this relationship that I am unfortunately used to seeing in some of the Harlequin Presents. She sort of starts out seemingly downtrodden, but it's more because of her particular goals than the fact that she has nothing to offer anyone. I think she could do anything she wanted, honestly. And she's not just eye candy. She's a very clever and deep woman, surprisingly perceptive and very emotionally healthy, considering. I enjoyed her relationship with her grandfather very much, how she values his opinion and genuinely loves him and wants him to be happy with her.


Conclusion:

I think this is a good, quick Christmas read for fans of Harlequin Presents and other contemporary romance fans who don't mind some of the more obvious tropes. What I appreciate about Sarah Morgan is that she writes to her audience (without insulting our intelligence) and takes the familiar about this romance subgenre and gives a fresh, enjoyable story with fantastic dialogue and back and forth between her couples. I can't give it five stars because of the things I mentioned above, like some of the implausible aspects, and because I just don't care for womanizing billionaires, honestly. But it's a very respectable four stars, and I'd recommend this book.



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Snowflakes and Stetsons by Jillian Hart

Snowflakes and Stetsons by Jillian Hart

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


What a nice combination, Christmas theme and western historical stories.  I would consider myself fans of all three writers in this volume, but my favorite story was by Carol Finch, one of the three I've read the least books by.  I admit that I enjoyed the contrast between the proper wealthy woman from back East and the mixed-heritage rough and tumble ex-Texas Ranger.  I also liked the fact that they were able to see past apparently superficial divides between them to the good-hearted people beneath disparate exteriors.  I felt the ending was a bit too abrupt, but I would give this one four stars for its feel good vibe and readability, and also having a great lead pair.  Also brownie points for the hero's awesome dog named Dog!

The Jillian Hart story was good and I enjoyed it.  It took me a while to get into it, and when I did, what the heroine does nearly killed the book for me.  I really dislike when you have a character who supposedly falls in love with someone and then completely disses them because of what someone has said or what their bad reputation indicated. It didn't read true to me.  I hurt for the hero in that case, and I found him a lot more sympathetic than the heroine.  Hart writes very good heroes.  Generally I like her heroines, but I didn't understand the heroine's reactions and motivations, so that spoiled the story for me with this one. I can only give it story three stars.

Cheryl St. John writes a compelling and heartwarming story for this volume.  The main couple are stranded together in the heroine's father's well-equipped Pullman during a snow storm, along with two orphaned kids.  To complicate matters, armed bandits are after a payload that the US Marshal hero is trying to protect. For a short story, this has a nice dose of western action that make this reader happy. Readers who enjoy survival stories will appreciate this. I also liked the 'don't judge a book by the cover' theme of this novel.  The heroine comes from a rich family and she seems like she might be spoiled and unlikable, but she shows a generous, some resourcefulness that definitely helps in their situation, a good heart and a strong spirit from the beginning. I liked seeing her bond with the children, and I liked the way their romance unfolded.  This one was also four stars, although I liked the Carol Finch story more.

Overall, a good Christmas short story historical romance collection with good western stories and good writing.  It was actually a quick read once I was able to focus my attention on the stories.

I did the math and this comes out to be about a 3.8/5.0 star rating but it's Christmas, so I will round it up to four stars.



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The Real 12 Days of Christmas by Helen Haidle

Real 12 Days of Christmas by Helen Haidle

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I was having a discussion with a church friend about whether it was valuable to enjoy Christmas on a spiritual level with all the commercialism and pagan connections of the holiday. I love Christmas, and I have sense I was a child. It isn't even about getting gifts for me. It's about the wonder of the season. As a believer of Jesus, I think there is pressure going both ways for you as far as Christmas.  One one hand, you are encouraged to like the holiday season but give no relevance to Christmas or its origins. On the other hand, some Christians reject Christmas as a pagan holiday with no significance to the actual celebration of the coming of the Messiah as a human baby.  It makes you feel kind of squeezed from both sides at times. Honestly, though, I will continue to be a Christmas freak until I leave this earth.  So I appreciated when my friend loaned me this book to read about one of my favorite Christmas songs, "The Twelve Days of Christmas." 

It's a short, easy read, since it's actually a children's book. Short but very meaningful for those who profess faith in Jesus, and even to those who wonder what Christians believe.  The song dates back to a time in England where there was much religious persecution and people weren't allowed to express beliefs that didn't go along with the official state church.  People used songs to teach about their faith in code  (coincidentally, this was also done with Negro Spiritual sang in the field during the American slavery period to communicate about the Underground Railroad to escape to freedom). This code is spelled out in the song.  I won't go into that because it would spoil the joy of reading the book, since each day is explained as far as its spiritual relevance. However, I will say that this song will now mean so much more to me now when I sing it. 

Christmas is a joyful time, and it's also a tough time because of the stress associated with it. The rat race and the focus on buying presents and keeping up with the commercial cast of the holiday can steal some of that joy. However, I believe that there is simple pleasure in celebrating the holiday with songs such as this and  in allowing the power of knowing that light broke into the world in the form of God as a baby who would grow up to suffer and die for the sins of everyone who ever lived, and many Christmas songs convey exactly that. It is wonderful to know that "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is also one of those songs.



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