Customer Reviews

Harlequin Historical Christmas Stories 1991

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Did not enjoy this book. I did not like any oth the major players particularly in the last 2 stories. Felt no enthusiasm for the romances. Totaaly agree with the review by Gemma. Especially the last story. What a bunch of jerks !!!!

From the back cover:

CHRISTMAS YET TO COME by Lynda Trent
Victorian lady Angelica Hamilton had wasted the chance of a lifetime when she gave up Matthew Thornton. She'd done the "proper" thing, but had paid for her mistake with years of loneliness. Then one day Matthew returned and offered Angelica a most precious gift--a second chance.

SEASON OF JOY by Caryn Cameron
Elizabeth McGowan was dreading the Christmas of 1777. As bitter winter settled in, she fought to preserve her young son's farm from both the marauding British and the starving Americans at Valley Forge. The American colonel Jerrod Ross taught Elizabeth that Christmas can be a time of love--even in the midst of the war.

FORTUNE'S GIFT by DeLoras Scott
Thinking to get around her promise to marry by Christmas, April Simpson set her sights on gambler Yancy Medford. There was no chance that her straitlaced brother would ever approve of her marrying Yancy. But April was about to learn that anything can happen in the season of miracles!

And my review:

I enjoyed the first story, CHRISTMAS YET TO COME. This was a novella populated by a whole cast of interesting and loveable characters. It wasn't just the hero and heroine that I liked, but also all the boarders who lived in the heroine's home. They were all so interesting and really added to the story. Also, the author wove a lot of Christmas traditions into the background of this story, giving it a real "holiday" feel. And the relationship was very sweet, and totally clean (no sex was even implied). Four stars.

The second story, SEASON OF JOY, was just okay. I did find it interesting to read about the civilians caught between two desperate and starving armies during the American revolution--I didn't know that things were that bad for the people who were unlucky enough to be caught in that situation. But the romance in this story felt a little rushed, and the emotions just didn't really ring true with me or move me all that much. Three stars.

The last story, FORTUNE'S GIFT, was the weakest of the bunch. The first big problem is that we have to wait for a long time before we meet the hero. And neither the hero nor the heroine were very likeable. She came across as a shrew, and he as a self-absorbed egomaniac (ugh!). The whole situation they were in felt silly and contrived, as were their romantic encounters (some of which bordered on creepy when the hero was practically forcing his attentions on the heroine). This was a story that I couldn't be bothered to finish. Two stars.

Romance anthologies are always a hit-or-miss situation. While there was one good story in this book, it wasn't so outstanding that I'd recommend that you rush out to buy it. Go ahead and get this if you can find it at a thrift store or garage sale. Otherwise, save your money for something better. See my list "Christmas romance books worth buying" for my top picks and recommended reads.