jjares reviewed A Christmas to Remember: I Will / Deck the Halls with Love / No Groom at the Inn / The Duke's Christmas Wish on + 3262 more book reviews
Buyer beware: All of those stories were published earlier. I WILL was published in a 2001 anthology, WISH LIST. THE DUKE'S CHRISTMAS WISH was originally published in 2015 in the anthology, ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS A DUKE. Unfortunately, stories one and three were remarkably similar (a young man seeking a faux betrothed for a period of time to fool others, but not interested in marriage).
I'm only familiar with the work of the first two authors, Lisa Kleypas and Lorraine Heath. At the end of this review, I will rate the stories from favorite-to-least.
I WILL (Lisa Kleypas) --
Caroline Hargreaves loathes Lord Drake. He is an intimate friend of her younger brother, Cade, and has led Cade astray (so that he owes huge amounts of money for gaming excessively). Lord Drake needs a faux betrothed because his father has disowned him (because of Lord Drake's hedonistic ways). Drake manipulates Caroline into acting as his love interest for a few months (until dear Papa reinstates Drake in his will). However, after his status is returned in the will, Drake decides to marry Caroline's cousin.
DECK THE HALLS WITH LOVE (Lorraine Heath) --
The Marquess of Chetwyn, was courting Lady Meredith Hargreaves when he suddenly proposed to another woman. Devastated, Lady Meredith promises to wed another. The wedding is to happen at the first of the year. Both Chetwyn and Meredith are invited to the same Christmas house party. Chetwyn tries to explain his error in judgment (he did not marry the other woman) to Meredith but she tries to avoid him. This story was a real disappointment; it just didn't seem to equal other stories by Lorraine Heath.
NO GROOM AT THE INN (Megan Frampton) --
James Archer needs a wife to quiet his mother's nagging. However, he doesn't really want a wife. When he finds out he's been invited to a Christmas house party (full of eager unmarried ladies), James rebels. In an inn, he finds a lady (Lady Sophronia Bettesford) and begs her to be his faux betrothed for one month.
Sophronia is a destitute relation, going to take her place as a caretaker of 6 kids and innumerable chickens. The idea of avoiding her fate, even for a month, has definite appeal. However, she holds out for a small cottage (as her price). James agrees and the fun begins. It is perfectly obvious how things will turn out but the author's way of turning a phrase is so charming, I didn't care one whit. Fun reading; the Dictionary game was great.
THE DUKE'S CHRISTMAS WISH (Vivienne Lorret) --
The Duke of Vale is, in a word, an eccentric. He believes everything can be solved through science. He's trying to get into the Royal Society with a new concept of his "Marriage Formula." Two young women, Ivy Sutherland and Lilah Appleton arrive for one of the Duke's house parties. Ivy is hoping to get the Duke to notice Lilah because she (Ivy) is not interested in marrying. Fairly average.
**
Overall rating (fave-to-least) = Frampton, Kleypas, Heath, Lorret.
I'm only familiar with the work of the first two authors, Lisa Kleypas and Lorraine Heath. At the end of this review, I will rate the stories from favorite-to-least.
I WILL (Lisa Kleypas) --
Caroline Hargreaves loathes Lord Drake. He is an intimate friend of her younger brother, Cade, and has led Cade astray (so that he owes huge amounts of money for gaming excessively). Lord Drake needs a faux betrothed because his father has disowned him (because of Lord Drake's hedonistic ways). Drake manipulates Caroline into acting as his love interest for a few months (until dear Papa reinstates Drake in his will). However, after his status is returned in the will, Drake decides to marry Caroline's cousin.
DECK THE HALLS WITH LOVE (Lorraine Heath) --
The Marquess of Chetwyn, was courting Lady Meredith Hargreaves when he suddenly proposed to another woman. Devastated, Lady Meredith promises to wed another. The wedding is to happen at the first of the year. Both Chetwyn and Meredith are invited to the same Christmas house party. Chetwyn tries to explain his error in judgment (he did not marry the other woman) to Meredith but she tries to avoid him. This story was a real disappointment; it just didn't seem to equal other stories by Lorraine Heath.
NO GROOM AT THE INN (Megan Frampton) --
James Archer needs a wife to quiet his mother's nagging. However, he doesn't really want a wife. When he finds out he's been invited to a Christmas house party (full of eager unmarried ladies), James rebels. In an inn, he finds a lady (Lady Sophronia Bettesford) and begs her to be his faux betrothed for one month.
Sophronia is a destitute relation, going to take her place as a caretaker of 6 kids and innumerable chickens. The idea of avoiding her fate, even for a month, has definite appeal. However, she holds out for a small cottage (as her price). James agrees and the fun begins. It is perfectly obvious how things will turn out but the author's way of turning a phrase is so charming, I didn't care one whit. Fun reading; the Dictionary game was great.
THE DUKE'S CHRISTMAS WISH (Vivienne Lorret) --
The Duke of Vale is, in a word, an eccentric. He believes everything can be solved through science. He's trying to get into the Royal Society with a new concept of his "Marriage Formula." Two young women, Ivy Sutherland and Lilah Appleton arrive for one of the Duke's house parties. Ivy is hoping to get the Duke to notice Lilah because she (Ivy) is not interested in marrying. Fairly average.
**
Overall rating (fave-to-least) = Frampton, Kleypas, Heath, Lorret.
Haley M. (hmills96) reviewed A Christmas to Remember: I Will / Deck the Halls with Love / No Groom at the Inn / The Duke's Christmas Wish on + 9 more book reviews
Even being the Grinch that I am, I can't let a December go by without reading one Christmas book, right? It's kind of obligatory! Thankfully, Avon sent me this collection of historical Christmas romance. It was the perfect cure for post-Thanksgiving exhaustion.
The theme of all of these stories was âNo matrimony for me!â Each included some kind of matchmaking scheme, mostly to fool their friends and familyâ¦but of course it fooled themselves right into love too.
None of these stories took me very long to readâin fact I finished this whole book in a single afternoon. It's a perfect weekender; the short novellas are great for reading while doing laundry and other chores because I could read one, do a load, read another, etc etc. Make a pot of tea, grab your favorite blanket, and hopefully watch some snow fall while you read about these four sets of lovers ring in the holidays under the mistletoe.
The theme of all of these stories was âNo matrimony for me!â Each included some kind of matchmaking scheme, mostly to fool their friends and familyâ¦but of course it fooled themselves right into love too.
None of these stories took me very long to readâin fact I finished this whole book in a single afternoon. It's a perfect weekender; the short novellas are great for reading while doing laundry and other chores because I could read one, do a load, read another, etc etc. Make a pot of tea, grab your favorite blanket, and hopefully watch some snow fall while you read about these four sets of lovers ring in the holidays under the mistletoe.
