A Stockingful of Joy (Signet Historical Romance) [Paperback]

Jill Barnett (Author), Mary Jo Putney (Author), Susan King (Author), Justine Dare (Author)

Book Description

Series: Signet Historical Romance | Publication Date: October 4, 2005

Now readers can enjoy the magical spirit of Christmas with this romantic quartet of stories filled with all the hope and joy of the holiday season.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Four timeless Christmas tales by celebrated romance authors comprise A Stockingful of Joy. Susan King's Snow Rose, set in 1573 in the rugged highlands of Scotland, tells the passionate story of Catriona MacDonald and Kenneth Fraser, prominent members of opposing clans. Catriona is in desperate need of help, and the snow rose--a cherished brooch given to seal a sacred pact made long ago by a Fraser family member--guarantees help from the Fraser family, or so Catriona believes. When the Frasers must regretfully deny Catriona her one wish, Kenneth Fraser swears to protect her, but he never dreamed he would lose his heart in the process.

Mary Balogh's charming tale of unexpected love, The Best Husband Money Can Buy, is set in 1818 Regency England. When Emma Stone's parents die, she has no choice but to stay on at school in Bath and teach. Emma's parents had not planned for their daughter's financial future, and so Emma's life of ease as part of the affluent Vaughn family comes to an end. But when a stroke of luck finds Emma rewarded with a kindly stranger's inheritance, a world of opportunities opens up to her, but her first priority is to find the best husband money can buy.

In A Light in the Window, Justin Dare transports readers to late 19th-century Wyoming, where all Morgan Blaine wants is a warm place to sleep for the night. But when he camps out in Faith Brown's barn, he gets much more than he bargained for. All alone in the Wyoming wilderness except for her sister's son, Faith needs more than a hand with the household chores. Morgan's painful childhood memories keep Faith at arms length until the light in the window shows him the way to her heart.

Jill Barnett's Boxing Day, set in Victorian New York, rounds out the holiday tales. Years of making his way as a professional boxer haven't exactly refined Conn Donoughue nor made him a likely candidate for love. But when Eleanor Rose Austen enters his life, all bets are off. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From Library Journal

Featuring some of the genre's most noted historical writers, this quartet of holiday novellas provides readers with delightful samplings of holiday cheer from the 16th-century Scottish Highlands, Regency England, and 19th-century America. For example, an old enemy honors a pledge, with romantic results, in Susan King's The Snow Rose; and a casual prayer at the casket of a stranger provides an impoverished governess with a fortune in Mary Jo Putney's The Best Husband Money Can Buy. Varying widely in style and tone, these well-crafted stories range from light and humorous to poignant and tender and will find an audience in most libraries.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Signet (October 4, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451215958
• ISBN-13: 978-0451215956
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,010,817 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Putney and Barnett save the day, November 15, 2005

By 

Susan Smith (A small rural village in the English Midlands) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Stockingful of Joy (Signet Historical Romance) (Paperback)

Although it was a good enough read, there was nothing outstanding in this Signet Christmas anthology to compare it to some of their anthologies of the 1990s.

I have never come across Susan King before. Although the bio-blurb indicates she has academic credentials in history, she needs to pull up her socks in terms of her story telling. I gather her story is a little filler in a series of books: constant references to this appear and I found it annoying. Her portrayal of life in early 17th century Scotland was too twee for me. And, by setting most of the story in an unheated, uninsulated, isolated bothey (shepherd's hut) she stretched credibility. Highland winters are cruel. No one in their right mind would set out to live alone like that in the winter! Also, I was so diverted by imagining the stench of horse and cow "droppings" in the little hut that any romantic feel to the story evaporated. Overall, this one was a dud.

Jill Barnett's story was unusual for me. Set at the end of the 19th century in the less than nice side of New York, it gave us some very different characters and a storyline that was quite unique. The story of a feisty, direct but oh-so-vulnerable 40 year old woman who is harbouring a passion for a beefy but gentle (and younger) boxer was well done. I liked the peripheral neighbourhood characters - immigrants and artisans who enhanced the narrative.

Justine Dare's story has been done a thousand times - the light in the window being a metaphor for coming home for Christmas. The hero is akin to a Clint Eastwood nameless drifter who only needs the love of a good woman to settle down and become an instant family man. A little too melodramatic for me.

Putney's offering was the best of the bunch. Although I thought the story line was a little tired, Putney's crisp, sharp style made it an engaging read. Perhaps because she seems to have been allocated more space, her story was better presented with characters that at least had a chance of developing. I think stories of fortune-hunting men are hard to pull off but she did it here with great skill. The happy conclusion was credible and rewarding.

Overall, Putney and Barnett saved the day and that's why I'm giving this one four instead of three stars.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the all around best anthologies I've ever read!, December 29, 1997

By 

BarkLessWagMore (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: A Stockingful of Joy (Onyx Historical Romance) (Paperback)

I grabbed this one with great expectations because it contained stories by two of my favorite authors and two other authors that I hadn't read but have heard good things about. And the rare thing happened, all of my expectations were met and I discovered a new author (King) whose backlist I'm probably going to track down.

The King story ["Snow Rose"] set in the Scottish Highlands is probably my favorite. I found it tender, sensual and gripping and all of the little historical details really placed me in the time period.

The Barnett story ["Boxing Day" - set in Victorian New York] was my second favorite, it was funny and witty, light and really hit the spot, the hero was very lovable and the heroine was an *older* woman.

The Putney story ["The Best Husband Money Can Buy" - set in Regency England] was also great about a woman who buys herself a hubby but I have to admit I was a little bothered by the fact that they were cousins (I know this was acceptable during that time but it still makes me squirm).

The Dare story ["A Light in the Window" - set in late 1800s Wyoming] was good but probably my least favorite because I felt it was too short and that she wasn't given enough space to fully develop her characters. I highly recommend this anthology for those who like 'em.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Snow Rose a five star read in a four star anthology, April 25, 1999

By 

Jody Allen (US) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Stockingful of Joy (Onyx Historical Romance) (Paperback)

Although the other stories in this anthology were interesting reads none touched me like the Snow Rose by Susan King. It was a poignant story of how a young woman was able thru her own pain helped another deal with his pain, making the reader the winner. Having read the prequel of sorts to this nouvella, THE RAVEN'S WISH, I found that she has created a wonderful story for one of the many Fraser cousin's who needed their own. The story was believable and was perfect for the holiday season

creating a believable sense of hope that all will be well. It isn't easy to write a satisfying story in so few pages but Ms. King's writing ability shines thru with this most endearing story of a promise redeemed in a most unusual way by a most wonderful hero all to capture the love of his heroine. Of the stories in this anthology Ms King's gave the reader the most hope this holiday season and her other books are not to be missed by any who call themselves romance readers.