These are three interconnected stories about Christmas. It is Christmas Eve, 1859, and everyone is at the St. Nicholas Hotel (in Dallas, Texas) for the biggest ball of the season. Obviously, Mrs. Sarah Cockrell was a force of nature in Dallas and this book recounts her business acumen (at a time when women were in the home, not running businesses).
Other than Jodi Thomas, I'm not familiar with the other two authors. I buy (and own) everything Jodi Thomas has written, so this was an automatic buy. At the end, I will list the stories from favorite to least.
ONE NIGHT AT THE ST. NICHOLAS (Jodi Thomas) --
Rumors abound that Miss Jacqueline Hartman must marry by the new year or her rich father plans to disown her. The truth is nastier; her stepmother wants to be rid of Jacqueline. She meets and talks extensively to an accused bank robber, Nathaniel Ward. By the end of the evening, they feel they are a good fit for marriage, but the law gets involved. Officers almost kill Nate before they can hang him. Now what? Great story; believable plot.
BIRDIE'S FLIGHT (Celia Bonaduce) --
After two years running and hiding, Birdie Flanagan thinks she has reached the end of the world -- Dallas, Texas (as a Texan, I know she's right). She gets a job as a seamstress just before the biggest ball of the year, at the St. Nicholas Hotel. On the evening of the ball, a hotel guest exchanges gowns with Birdie, so she can dance with the delightful Captain Douglas Newcastle. But the dangerous stranger from her past interferes; threatening to kill those around her. This is another interesting story with a great plot.
SPIRIT OF TEXAS (Rachael Miles) --
Spinster Eugenie Charpentier is taking a long trip with someone her mother found to accompany her. He is Texas Ranger Asher Graham. Eugenie has traveled from England to Texas and plans to accompany her mother back home to England. I threw this story against the wall at least three times. This was an awful story. I couldn't understand why the author spent so much time telling us about politically correct books.
**From favorite-to-least: Thomas, Bonaduce, Miles.
Other than Jodi Thomas, I'm not familiar with the other two authors. I buy (and own) everything Jodi Thomas has written, so this was an automatic buy. At the end, I will list the stories from favorite to least.
ONE NIGHT AT THE ST. NICHOLAS (Jodi Thomas) --
Rumors abound that Miss Jacqueline Hartman must marry by the new year or her rich father plans to disown her. The truth is nastier; her stepmother wants to be rid of Jacqueline. She meets and talks extensively to an accused bank robber, Nathaniel Ward. By the end of the evening, they feel they are a good fit for marriage, but the law gets involved. Officers almost kill Nate before they can hang him. Now what? Great story; believable plot.
BIRDIE'S FLIGHT (Celia Bonaduce) --
After two years running and hiding, Birdie Flanagan thinks she has reached the end of the world -- Dallas, Texas (as a Texan, I know she's right). She gets a job as a seamstress just before the biggest ball of the year, at the St. Nicholas Hotel. On the evening of the ball, a hotel guest exchanges gowns with Birdie, so she can dance with the delightful Captain Douglas Newcastle. But the dangerous stranger from her past interferes; threatening to kill those around her. This is another interesting story with a great plot.
SPIRIT OF TEXAS (Rachael Miles) --
Spinster Eugenie Charpentier is taking a long trip with someone her mother found to accompany her. He is Texas Ranger Asher Graham. Eugenie has traveled from England to Texas and plans to accompany her mother back home to England. I threw this story against the wall at least three times. This was an awful story. I couldn't understand why the author spent so much time telling us about politically correct books.
**From favorite-to-least: Thomas, Bonaduce, Miles.
An excellent anthology. I really enjoyed this book; I'd suggest reading the historical notes first - the hotel featured in these stories really was pivotal in the development of Dallas,Texas. Each story is tied to the glamorous Christmas Ball held at the hotel the first winter after it was built. Those historical notes are on the last pages of the book.
