Customer Reviews

A Stockingful Of Joy

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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If you like a light, heart-warming read then this definitely a book for you. This is two separate stories revolving around one theme.

The stories are based on two cousins, Deidre and Maura Kenney, and their promise to Deidre's dying father to complete a job he had which involved delivering some important documents to the Callahan brothers in Paradise,Montanna. These documents will save the Callahans' ranch. However, the women know it is dangerous and decide to take different routes to their destination in order to deflect attention from one another.

Here in lies the story of each woman's journey of how they meet danger, passion and abiding love, along with a Callahan brother to share it with.

The stories are tender, heart-warming and very humorous, especially Maura's story. The heroines are spunky and smart. The heroes are to die for. Take time out and read these stories I don't believe you will regret it. This is definitely a keeper for me.

Hannah Howell in this two part book wrote the wow for me. This was a great book with love in the air and gunfights blazing was great. Knowing the cousins were traveling and then to find true love was one of the best books I've ever read.

I love reading. And expecial Christmas novels over the winter holidays. I really enjoyed this book and encorage other readers to read it.

A Stockingful of Joy is comprised of two short stories by Hannah Howell. It stars the Callahan brothers and the Kenney cousins as they fight to get from Missouri to Montana and deliver deeds of ownership to the rightful party. The papers will prove that the Callahan's own the land and mine that the Martin family want to steal. With their father and uncle already murdered, the Kenney cousins, Deidre and Maura, split up and take separate routes hoping to deliver the papers before Christmas. It's a dangerous journey and their only hope comes in the form of the Callahan brothers, who each find their lady under unique circumstances. They team up and during their dangerous travels each finds love in the most unexpected of places.

A Christmas in Paradise: Deidre is trying to take the most convoluted path she can to Paradise, Montana and the Sweet Kate Ranch to keep the Martins off her tail. She's sitting there quietly and unassumingly, when two men come up and demand to know who she is. Luckily for her, Tyrone Callahan comes to her rescue. They realize they are both on the same mission and at first Tyrone tries to take the papers and send her on her way with this family's thanks. Deidre tells him she's not budging on her determination to deliver the deeds to the Sweet Kate Ranch and besides, the Martins know she's on her way so even if she turns back now, they'll still follow her. The only thing that will protect her will be to get the papers to Paradise, Montana and finish this mission, so Tyrone and Deidre team up. Tyrone is your more cynical hero, not exactly trusting of a woman's seductive wiles but with Deidre he can't help notice that she's different and special.

I liked this story. Tyrone was handsome and competent, and Deidre was equally competent and self assured. It was a good, unassuming read but it wasn't anything special. I actually liked the secondary character of Jason Booker a lot more. He's a Viking/cowboy and that's one interesting and hot combination. Tyrone and Deidre shelter at his ranch for a day and his teasingly manipulative personality completely charmed me.

Maura's Christmas Secret: Maura Kenney was returning from church, minding her own business, when she was accosted by two drunk, lecherous cowboys. Mitchell Callahan was just passing through when he caught the rather inventive curses of an angry woman. He wades into the fray and comes to the rescue of a furious Maura. Maura's mission was to take her papers to Paradise, Montana by using the most public route she could take. It was her job to try and lead the Martin men away from Deidre and her own set of papers. She's the bait and she's determined to see her deathbed promise to her uncle all the way through. They both realize they are working towards the same goal and decide to team up. Mitch is not as cynical as his brother Tyrone and he knows right away that the prim and oh so proper Maura is that special female meant for him. All he needs is one kiss to make sure. After he steals that kiss from the softly sputtering Maura, now he's sure she's the one for him. Determined not to let her out of his sight, he sticks to her like glue throughout the journey.

I really liked this story. Maura was cute with her school marm attitude and Mitch was roguishly charming. Maura hid a naughty side beneath her prim and proper attire that I thought was really funny. Mitch's delight for her naughty lingerie even prompted me to go out and buy some for myself. While the first story was decidedly darker and more violent, at least to Deidre, this one was more relaxed and much more amusing. Between Maura's charming predilection for naughty underthings and Mitch's funny reactions to them, I really liked it.

All in all, A Stockingful of Joy was a nice read. Sweet and sassy but ultimately forgettable. It's a Christmas romance that will warm your heart and leave you feeling a little brighter. Although I really liked Maura and Mitch, I really wanted to sink my teeth into Jason Booker. They meet up with Jason in their own story and it again just whetted my appetite for the day Hannah Howell gives him his own story. Enjoy! :)

To be honest, I don't remember what this book was about, I do rememer though that I liked it. I read it about two years ago and have many since. I also do remember though that this was the first book by Hannah Howell I read and it wasn't the last. It started a cycle of reading her books. I'm always reading a new one or re-reading one of the old ones I own. I suggest you try this book despite the any negative reviews it got (or gets); you never know unless you try it yourself. If you don't like this one, you can try one of the many historical books (series) she writes (the ones I read) and see if you like those instead. Overall I think Hannah Howell is good writer and will appeal to those who try it. Enjoy!