Customer Reviews

The Holiday Present

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you have read Johanna Lindsey's Malory series then you will probably enjoy The Holiday Present. There are two stories taking place: one in the present between the Malory's who have had stories in other books, and a story taking place in the semi-distant past. Those who have read the Malory series will enjoy the present day story as opposed to the one taking place in the past. It is nice to see how the characters that you've enjoyed reading about are progressing with their lives.

If you haven't read the Malory series then I think you will probably be disappointed with the book and be unable to enjoy the humor in the situation of the present day story. I recommend that before you read this novel you read the Malory novels that come before it. Following is the order in which you should read the series: Love Only Once, Tender Rebel, Gentle Rogue, The Magic of You, Say You Love Me, The Holiday Present, A Loving Scoundrel. I enjoyed the story more because all of my favorite characters were reintroduced than because of the story taking place in the past. This is probably her least best in the series, and you don't really need to read it if you don't want to. I wouldn't judge the series by this particular book, because this novel was done as more of a Holiday special and doesn't really add to the series. The series as a whole is quite good, and I highly recommend it.

This story is a Christmas story about the Malory family who are the centre of many of her books. It's a story within a story as the Malorys, meeting all together at Christmas, discover a journal written by their grandmother and grandfather which explains how they met. They had long heard rumours that their grandmother was a Gypsy, a completely inappropriate wife for a Marquis, but no-one knew the truth of this story, nor the identity of the person buried in the unmarked grave on their land. The discovery of the journal answered these questions with a sweet love story and showed their descendants the importance of love over strangers' opinions.

The best part of this book was the story of Christopher Malory and the gypsy Anastasia Stephanoff. The story that surrounded it, of the gathering of their descendants for a Christmas celebration where Jason, the head of the family, is still unable to persuade Molly, his mistress for 30 years, to marry him is rather weaker. Mainly because there are so many people in the Malory family, they all merge rather into one, there is the requisite Scottish person speaking in a broad accent and, of course, the obligatory American characters (why is it so common for American writers of Regencies to include American and Scottish characters?). I didn't feel that the beginning and end of the book, which were the current Malory clan, added anything to the story really - they were just padding.

Johanna Lindsey's writing style is easy to read and her pacing is good. She makes some annoying errors in dialogue where Regency English people speak with American sentence forms but I'm so used to this I should probably stop moaning about it. Whatever, it's a pleasant short read and for those really into the Malory family it sheds a little extra light on their history and family.

If you've read the other Malory novels, this is Malory heaven. If not, then go read them!!

This is 2 great books in one. i am a huge Johanna Lindsey fan. Everyone will love the Malorys i know i do.