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A Regency Holiday
In Coventry's Christmas, Rebecca Hagan Lee offers a charming new story. With Christmas approaching, Amabel Thurston is ordered from the family home by her father's widow and must seek the protection of her guardian, Deverel Brookfield, eighth Marquess of Coventry. Unfortunately, the Devil of Coventry has little use for Christmas and even less for proper young ladies.
In the never-in-print Star of Wonder, Lynn Kerstan brings her special brand of magic to the page when an exotic and dangerous stranger arrives to disrupt the meager Christmas of Stella Bryar, who has struggled to support the family retainers in the wake of her father's death.
Allison Lane's newest Christmas treat is A Christmas Homecoming. When prodigal son Alex Northcote returns from a six year absence to take control of the family estate, he must run a gauntlet of possible brides, who have all been installed for a holiday house party by his determined grandmother. Avoiding the trap would have been so much easier, if the guest list hadn't included a quiet widow, who once jilted him for another.
In the classic Home for Christmas, Alicia Rasley gives us a Christmas with a bit of intrigue. When Verity receives an unexpected invitation from her estranged father to spend the holidays at his Cornwall estate, she accepts with delight. But, ever mindful of her father's attention to propriety, she must scramble to find a husband and "father" for her fatherless child. Could a handsome and enigmatic stranger solve all her problems?
In the never-in-print Star of Wonder, Lynn Kerstan brings her special brand of magic to the page when an exotic and dangerous stranger arrives to disrupt the meager Christmas of Stella Bryar, who has struggled to support the family retainers in the wake of her father's death.
Allison Lane's newest Christmas treat is A Christmas Homecoming. When prodigal son Alex Northcote returns from a six year absence to take control of the family estate, he must run a gauntlet of possible brides, who have all been installed for a holiday house party by his determined grandmother. Avoiding the trap would have been so much easier, if the guest list hadn't included a quiet widow, who once jilted him for another.
In the classic Home for Christmas, Alicia Rasley gives us a Christmas with a bit of intrigue. When Verity receives an unexpected invitation from her estranged father to spend the holidays at his Cornwall estate, she accepts with delight. But, ever mindful of her father's attention to propriety, she must scramble to find a husband and "father" for her fatherless child. Could a handsome and enigmatic stranger solve all her problems?
298 pages, Paperback
First published October 31, 2011
14 people are currently reading
242 people want to read
About the author
Lynn Kerstan
30 books18 followersLynn Kerstan is a former college professor, folksinger, professional bridge player, and nun.
Her first book, A Spirited Affair, published in 1993, was a double RITA finalist. In 1996, she took home a prestigious RITA Award for Gwen's Christmas Ghost, written with Indianapolis resident Alicia Rasley via E-Mail. A pioneer of on-line collaboration, she had previously collaborated with Rasley and Julie Caille on Lessons in Love, the world's first Electronic Regency Romance.
A four-time RITA finalist and regularly featured on awards lists, Kerstan has won the CRW Award of Excellence, the Golden Quill Award, two San Diego Book Awards, two Romance Communications Awards, and been a finalist for the National Readers' Choice Award, several Romantic Times awards, and the Holt Medallion.
Kerstan lives in Southern California, where she plots her books while riding her boogie board and does character research at the San Diego Zoo.
Her first book, A Spirited Affair, published in 1993, was a double RITA finalist. In 1996, she took home a prestigious RITA Award for Gwen's Christmas Ghost, written with Indianapolis resident Alicia Rasley via E-Mail. A pioneer of on-line collaboration, she had previously collaborated with Rasley and Julie Caille on Lessons in Love, the world's first Electronic Regency Romance.
A four-time RITA finalist and regularly featured on awards lists, Kerstan has won the CRW Award of Excellence, the Golden Quill Award, two San Diego Book Awards, two Romance Communications Awards, and been a finalist for the National Readers' Choice Award, several Romantic Times awards, and the Holt Medallion.
Kerstan lives in Southern California, where she plots her books while riding her boogie board and does character research at the San Diego Zoo.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
December 23, 2017
3.5 stars.
Although touted as regency stories, these are not of the ton but what I'd called the country gentry.
In Rebecca Hagan Lee's Coventry's Christmas, the heroine has been pushed out of her home by the wicked step-mother and seeks shelter with her guardian, who turned out to be the handsome heir rather than the father who has already passed away.
In Lynn Kerstan's Star of Wonder, we have a heroine who is trying to keep and support her retainers after her father's death when a stranger arrived looking for something in her father's possession.
In Allison Lane's A Christmas Homecoming we have another heroine being forced to take up a companion position with her ex-fiance's mother. Then the ex-fiance turned up, and we learned of the reasons why she was forced out of her home by her brother and sister-in-law and why she jilted him in the first place.
In Alicia Rasley's Home for Christmas the heroine persuaded a stranger into posing as her husband and father of her daughter for a visit to her father's home for Christmas.
The common theme with these stories is that we have a struggling heroine and in three of the stories, the hero is a stranger. I guess I can't quibble as these are supposed to be Christmas miracle stories so they are allowed to fall in love pretty much instantly. So a bit of heart-warming historical Christmas stories for the season. Happy Holidays!
Although touted as regency stories, these are not of the ton but what I'd called the country gentry.
In Rebecca Hagan Lee's Coventry's Christmas, the heroine has been pushed out of her home by the wicked step-mother and seeks shelter with her guardian, who turned out to be the handsome heir rather than the father who has already passed away.
In Lynn Kerstan's Star of Wonder, we have a heroine who is trying to keep and support her retainers after her father's death when a stranger arrived looking for something in her father's possession.
In Allison Lane's A Christmas Homecoming we have another heroine being forced to take up a companion position with her ex-fiance's mother. Then the ex-fiance turned up, and we learned of the reasons why she was forced out of her home by her brother and sister-in-law and why she jilted him in the first place.
In Alicia Rasley's Home for Christmas the heroine persuaded a stranger into posing as her husband and father of her daughter for a visit to her father's home for Christmas.
The common theme with these stories is that we have a struggling heroine and in three of the stories, the hero is a stranger. I guess I can't quibble as these are supposed to be Christmas miracle stories so they are allowed to fall in love pretty much instantly. So a bit of heart-warming historical Christmas stories for the season. Happy Holidays!
December 4, 2011
This was a lovely collection of four novellas with Christmas themes, provided by netgalley. As with all such collections, the quality was variable, but on-the-whole this was a really enjoyable read.
The best stories were the last two, and my least favorite the first one.
1st book - Coventry's Christmas by Rebecca Hagan Lee
The premise is actually solid, and both the hero and heroine rather likeable characters. Unfortunately, there were a few things which let it down for me. There were some minor historical details, which were small, but irritating, and could have been easily fixed by a read-through by someone from England. A good example was that the English don't add honey to tea (this is something which other countries do, but not England, and certainly not in the household of someone wealthy, who could easily afford sugar), and tea is not kept on the stove to keep warm, as coffee is (if tea gets cold, you start all over again with a new pot in England, those beautiful tea services with a small warming candle are Russian). There were also some other things, less small, which also irritated me, primarily that the hero fell for the heroine far too fast. I like to see the process of them falling in love with each other, not the "brick-wall" effect when one of them suddenly realizes it. The biggest problem I had was that this novella really felt like a full-length book, squashed into a novella by taking all the adjectives and adverbs out (you know, those words that actually make a book a joy to read?). It ruined it, really, which was a shame, because the heroine was realistically naive, but not stupid or clueless, and the hero's idea of ignoring the 12 days of Christmas was just excellent. Overall, it came across as rather Regency-ish and insipid. 2/5
2nd book - Star of Wonder by Lynn Kerstan
This was a very different and rather interesting story. The romance is really secondary to the plot and the character development, and I have to say this worked incredibly well in a collection format. The characters are not particularly sympathetic, and the plot is quite exotic, and it worked really well for me. The ending was perhaps too long though, when words are precious. 3/5
3rd book - A Christmas Homecoming by Allison Lane
For a very pleasant change, this one starts with the hero's POV. Apparently this is a novella, but the funny thing is, I honestly couldn't tell it was. It was a great, full story and was written at a pleasant, measured pace. This one had the requisite adjectives and adverbs that actually make an interesting read. I also loved the ending - there is great promise for the hero and heroine and their HEA, but the author doesn't waste time or words with detailing it. We get it, and we don't have our intelligence insulted by a pointless paragraph explaining what we already figured out. We understand the hero and heroine's individual backstories, and were even introduced to a nice array of secondary characters, but nothing detracted from the house party setting, itself an ideal self-contained novella setting. 4/5
4th book - Home for Christmas by Alicia Rasley
Again, this one starts with the hero's POV. It is a fascinating story. I was completely hooked from the first page. It's spare plot and slow unravelling is absolutely ideally suited to a novella. The story is told with complete descriptive paragraphs, and we get to know the characters very well, or, at least, we think we do. This little story keeps just enough of the characters hidden to intrigue, but shows us just enough of a hint for us to sympathize. It's handled with a wonderfully light touch that I love in romances. There was nothing I didn't completely enjoy about this book, and I'll be looking for more of this author's work, particularly her novellas. 5/5
The best stories were the last two, and my least favorite the first one.
1st book - Coventry's Christmas by Rebecca Hagan Lee
The premise is actually solid, and both the hero and heroine rather likeable characters. Unfortunately, there were a few things which let it down for me. There were some minor historical details, which were small, but irritating, and could have been easily fixed by a read-through by someone from England. A good example was that the English don't add honey to tea (this is something which other countries do, but not England, and certainly not in the household of someone wealthy, who could easily afford sugar), and tea is not kept on the stove to keep warm, as coffee is (if tea gets cold, you start all over again with a new pot in England, those beautiful tea services with a small warming candle are Russian). There were also some other things, less small, which also irritated me, primarily that the hero fell for the heroine far too fast. I like to see the process of them falling in love with each other, not the "brick-wall" effect when one of them suddenly realizes it. The biggest problem I had was that this novella really felt like a full-length book, squashed into a novella by taking all the adjectives and adverbs out (you know, those words that actually make a book a joy to read?). It ruined it, really, which was a shame, because the heroine was realistically naive, but not stupid or clueless, and the hero's idea of ignoring the 12 days of Christmas was just excellent. Overall, it came across as rather Regency-ish and insipid. 2/5
2nd book - Star of Wonder by Lynn Kerstan
This was a very different and rather interesting story. The romance is really secondary to the plot and the character development, and I have to say this worked incredibly well in a collection format. The characters are not particularly sympathetic, and the plot is quite exotic, and it worked really well for me. The ending was perhaps too long though, when words are precious. 3/5
3rd book - A Christmas Homecoming by Allison Lane
For a very pleasant change, this one starts with the hero's POV. Apparently this is a novella, but the funny thing is, I honestly couldn't tell it was. It was a great, full story and was written at a pleasant, measured pace. This one had the requisite adjectives and adverbs that actually make an interesting read. I also loved the ending - there is great promise for the hero and heroine and their HEA, but the author doesn't waste time or words with detailing it. We get it, and we don't have our intelligence insulted by a pointless paragraph explaining what we already figured out. We understand the hero and heroine's individual backstories, and were even introduced to a nice array of secondary characters, but nothing detracted from the house party setting, itself an ideal self-contained novella setting. 4/5
4th book - Home for Christmas by Alicia Rasley
Again, this one starts with the hero's POV. It is a fascinating story. I was completely hooked from the first page. It's spare plot and slow unravelling is absolutely ideally suited to a novella. The story is told with complete descriptive paragraphs, and we get to know the characters very well, or, at least, we think we do. This little story keeps just enough of the characters hidden to intrigue, but shows us just enough of a hint for us to sympathize. It's handled with a wonderfully light touch that I love in romances. There was nothing I didn't completely enjoy about this book, and I'll be looking for more of this author's work, particularly her novellas. 5/5
December 25, 2011
I love Christmas anthologies, and I really miss the ones Signet used to publish every year. So I was excited when I saw this new Regency release from Bell Bridge Books in NetGalley’s catalog. The anthology contains four stories, three of them never before published. It is a typical anthology in two ways: Some stories are stronger than others, and some stories seem truncated, as if development were sacrificed for the limitations of novella length.
“Coventry’s Christmas” by Rebecca Hagan Lee
Amabel Thurston is an innocent forced by her father’s death and the heartlessness of her stepmother to make her way to London in search of her guardian. The guardian, Deverel Brookfield, eighth Marquess of Coventry, has just begun his annual celebration of the twelve days of Christmas in his usual fashion—in a brothel where he spends each night in a different bed. Despite an unpromising start to their relationship, the two fall in love. The speed of Deverel’s reform and of the beginning of the HEA left me dizzy. I did like that Amabel has an option to accepting Deverel’s offer. This is not a bad story, but it is a predictable one. Three stars.
“Star of Wonder” by Lynn Kerstan
Kerstan’s story is original in both senses of the word. It is a never-before-published tale, and its characters and plot are not merely conventional. Christmas promises to be a barren celebration for Stella Bryar and her staff of loyal retainers who are struggling to survive after the death of Stella’s father and the avarice of her stepmother. When a stranger arrives looking for her father, Stella is suspicious. Her suspicions are justified. The stranger is seeking a stolen jewel that will save the lives of his family in Montenegro. But Stella proves to be rarer and more valuable than the jeweled star. Again, the ending feels rushed, but I love Kerstan’s writing and her characters. Four stars.
“A Christmas Homecoming” by Allison Lane
This is a reunion story. Alex Northcote has returned home after six years in the army to find a house party in progress. Its purpose is to present Alex with a bevy of possible brides, but Alex’s attention is focused on his former fiancée, now a widow with two children. Sarah does not court his attention. All she wants is a safe place for her and her daughters. The anger that Alex still feels toward her stirs old fears and concerns about her future. His anger and her fear must be overcome before the two can be reunited. Reunion stories are my favorites, and I wanted to like this one more than I did. I never made the necessary connection to these characters. Three stars.
“Home for Christmas” by Alicia Rasley
This is the only recycled story in the collection, and it’s the best one. I liked it when I first read it in the 1993 Zebra anthology A Touch of Christmas, and it has lost none of its charm. It too is a reunion tale, but in this case the reunion is between an estranged father and daughter. Verity longs to spend Christmas with her father and to introduce her child to him, but she needs a man to take on the role of the husband she has created to protect her daughter from the stigma of illegitimacy. Eric Randall has his own family problems that he hopes to resolve, and only Verity’s promise that she can lead him to the object he seeks persuades him to take on the roles of Verity’s husband and Beth’s father, roles he soon finds himself reluctant to surrender. I loved everything about this story. Verity is a delight, a strong heroine who makes no apologies for her choices and makes the best of the life she has. She and Alex share some great dialogue, and while their relationship develops quickly, I believed in it and in them. Five stars.
Overall grade: 3.75 stars
Recommendation: Readers who miss traditional regencies will enjoy the anthology. The Christmas settings are not mere patina, and all of the stories have something to offer. Rasley’s story alone is worth the price of the ebook.
“Coventry’s Christmas” by Rebecca Hagan Lee
Amabel Thurston is an innocent forced by her father’s death and the heartlessness of her stepmother to make her way to London in search of her guardian. The guardian, Deverel Brookfield, eighth Marquess of Coventry, has just begun his annual celebration of the twelve days of Christmas in his usual fashion—in a brothel where he spends each night in a different bed. Despite an unpromising start to their relationship, the two fall in love. The speed of Deverel’s reform and of the beginning of the HEA left me dizzy. I did like that Amabel has an option to accepting Deverel’s offer. This is not a bad story, but it is a predictable one. Three stars.
“Star of Wonder” by Lynn Kerstan
Kerstan’s story is original in both senses of the word. It is a never-before-published tale, and its characters and plot are not merely conventional. Christmas promises to be a barren celebration for Stella Bryar and her staff of loyal retainers who are struggling to survive after the death of Stella’s father and the avarice of her stepmother. When a stranger arrives looking for her father, Stella is suspicious. Her suspicions are justified. The stranger is seeking a stolen jewel that will save the lives of his family in Montenegro. But Stella proves to be rarer and more valuable than the jeweled star. Again, the ending feels rushed, but I love Kerstan’s writing and her characters. Four stars.
“A Christmas Homecoming” by Allison Lane
This is a reunion story. Alex Northcote has returned home after six years in the army to find a house party in progress. Its purpose is to present Alex with a bevy of possible brides, but Alex’s attention is focused on his former fiancée, now a widow with two children. Sarah does not court his attention. All she wants is a safe place for her and her daughters. The anger that Alex still feels toward her stirs old fears and concerns about her future. His anger and her fear must be overcome before the two can be reunited. Reunion stories are my favorites, and I wanted to like this one more than I did. I never made the necessary connection to these characters. Three stars.
“Home for Christmas” by Alicia Rasley
This is the only recycled story in the collection, and it’s the best one. I liked it when I first read it in the 1993 Zebra anthology A Touch of Christmas, and it has lost none of its charm. It too is a reunion tale, but in this case the reunion is between an estranged father and daughter. Verity longs to spend Christmas with her father and to introduce her child to him, but she needs a man to take on the role of the husband she has created to protect her daughter from the stigma of illegitimacy. Eric Randall has his own family problems that he hopes to resolve, and only Verity’s promise that she can lead him to the object he seeks persuades him to take on the roles of Verity’s husband and Beth’s father, roles he soon finds himself reluctant to surrender. I loved everything about this story. Verity is a delight, a strong heroine who makes no apologies for her choices and makes the best of the life she has. She and Alex share some great dialogue, and while their relationship develops quickly, I believed in it and in them. Five stars.
Overall grade: 3.75 stars
Recommendation: Readers who miss traditional regencies will enjoy the anthology. The Christmas settings are not mere patina, and all of the stories have something to offer. Rasley’s story alone is worth the price of the ebook.
December 28, 2017
pleasant holiday short stories
December 7, 2011
Review: A Regency Holiday A Christmas Regency Anthology by Lynn Kerstan
Coventry's Christmas by Rebecca Hagan Lee
The first story touched me to tears at one point.
Amabel Thurston was asked by her stepmother to leave her family home right before Christmas. She went on the mail coach to Coventry Court. Marquess of Coventry was her guardian but he did not realize it and closed his country home and lone home for Christmas. He does not celebrate Christmas.
Deverel Brookfield goes to a brothel every year for the Christmas.
Amabel goes to the brothel thinking its a home for Orphans to stay till she finds her guardian their.
Star of Wonder by Lynn Kerstan
Stella Bryar lives in a old run down house with servants that are more like family in the country. A stranger appears in a blizzard and has a mystery to solve.
A Christmas Homecoming by Allison pace
Alex comes home after running away and joining the army six years ago. His child sweetheart had married another and given him no notice. When Alex makes it home their is a Christmas party and the first one he runs into is past fiance now living their as a companion to his mother with her two girls.
Alex falls for her and her two girls and the more he finds out the more he loves.
Home for Christmas by Alicia Rasley
Verity has a little girl Beth under 2 years of age. Verity has given herself a husband a captain away at sea. She decides she needs to make up with her father so if something happens to Beth she will still have family.
As she is getting ready to spend Christmas with her father and about to get in the carriage, A stranger that looks like her made up husband Captain Eric Randall. Comes about an ad that is wanting to buy one of a pair of knives.
He wants to know if she has the other and Verity says no but she knows who does and if he will pretend to be her husband for the week. She will take him to see if the owner will sell it to him.
So they pretend to be a family for a week. Beth is cute and likes her papa.
All four stories were good but short. I liked them and would read their books agains. I was given this ebook to read in exchange of honest review from Netgalley.http://readalot-rhonda1111.blogspot.c...
Coventry's Christmas by Rebecca Hagan Lee
The first story touched me to tears at one point.
Amabel Thurston was asked by her stepmother to leave her family home right before Christmas. She went on the mail coach to Coventry Court. Marquess of Coventry was her guardian but he did not realize it and closed his country home and lone home for Christmas. He does not celebrate Christmas.
Deverel Brookfield goes to a brothel every year for the Christmas.
Amabel goes to the brothel thinking its a home for Orphans to stay till she finds her guardian their.
Star of Wonder by Lynn Kerstan
Stella Bryar lives in a old run down house with servants that are more like family in the country. A stranger appears in a blizzard and has a mystery to solve.
A Christmas Homecoming by Allison pace
Alex comes home after running away and joining the army six years ago. His child sweetheart had married another and given him no notice. When Alex makes it home their is a Christmas party and the first one he runs into is past fiance now living their as a companion to his mother with her two girls.
Alex falls for her and her two girls and the more he finds out the more he loves.
Home for Christmas by Alicia Rasley
Verity has a little girl Beth under 2 years of age. Verity has given herself a husband a captain away at sea. She decides she needs to make up with her father so if something happens to Beth she will still have family.
As she is getting ready to spend Christmas with her father and about to get in the carriage, A stranger that looks like her made up husband Captain Eric Randall. Comes about an ad that is wanting to buy one of a pair of knives.
He wants to know if she has the other and Verity says no but she knows who does and if he will pretend to be her husband for the week. She will take him to see if the owner will sell it to him.
So they pretend to be a family for a week. Beth is cute and likes her papa.
All four stories were good but short. I liked them and would read their books agains. I was given this ebook to read in exchange of honest review from Netgalley.http://readalot-rhonda1111.blogspot.c...
December 5, 2011
A Regency Christmas quartet. This is a fun, light read perfect for the Christmas season. As in most novellas the couples fall in love very quickly but this is to be expected in the space allotted; although I think the one day it takes in the first story is too rapid. In fact I think the first story would have been better as a full length book so there could have been more story development; the characters are strong enough to carry the longer length. It seemed to be the start and end of a book with the middle taken out. I did still enjoy it though.
All four stories are great reads but the last two are my favourites; the first one might have been if longer. Each story is based at Christmas and I love the descriptions on how each couple spends the season. I recommend the book to all Regency fans.
All four stories are great reads but the last two are my favourites; the first one might have been if longer. Each story is based at Christmas and I love the descriptions on how each couple spends the season. I recommend the book to all Regency fans.
February 2, 2015
Just a quick review...
First story was good, second was ok, third was good, forth one was the best.
First story was good, second was ok, third was good, forth one was the best.
March 8, 2018
Regency Christmas has been one of my favorite themes ever since Charles Dickens, and every year reading stories about Christmas during that period, somehow lifts my spirits up and makes me feel so good, so warm and all seems to look just a bit brighter…
I’ve never read anything by any of these four authors so I was a bit skeptical; however I was in a mood for Christmas stories during Christmas season, so what-the-heck? I took a chance, and it paid off. If you’re like me, during this busy season, I’m only good for a quick and light read and all four of these stories more than deliver. There is nothing better than an Anthology for intro to some authors that you’ve never read.
In the first story, COVENTRY’S CHRISTMAS by Rebecca Hagan Lee, we meet Amabel Thurston who upon her father’s death is forced to seek out her guardian as her stepmother is about to remarry and have her new husband move in a home that Amy always thought of her own. She’s very anxious to meet her guardian, Deverel Brookfield, eighth Marquess of Coventry and is surprised, that after a long journey to his main residence, to find the place shrouded in darkness and the Marquess gone to London. Never one to give up, our little heroine manages to track him down…to a brothel! Well, she’s not aware of the fact, in the beginning, thinking it’s an orphanage and requesting of a Madam that runs the place to help her find her guardian.
Devlin hates Christmas and it is well-known to his staff in all of his residences that NOTHING is to be displayed to acknowledge the season. The reasons for it are very personal and better not mentioned to him, so for a few years now Devlin indulges himself with twelve days of pure and unadulterated lust, which help him take his mind off the painful memories.
With his father’s death, he not just inherited the wealth, but the responsibilities as well which in this case include Amy, his father’s young ward.
This was such a cute little story of a young woman whose strength and ability to love is a wonderful compliment to the hero that has forgotten how to enjoy the simpler pleasures in life.
Second story is ‘STAR OF WONDER’ by Lynn Kerstan and in it we meet Stella Bryar who lives in the country with a couple of servants of whom she’s very protective as after her father’s death, they’re her only family. It’s not easy for our heroine to keep up her only legacy; an old and dilapidated run down cottage, as winter approaches and the money is short. When a man appears at her door, asking after her father, she’s taken aback, and because of her stepmother’s cruelty and greediness, she has a very hard time trusting him, but in the end relents and offers him shelter.
Kiro Viscardi (Radanovic) is a man on a mission. He needs to find a treasure that he believes stolen from his home, but to do that, he must have this young woman’s full coöperation. As he makes plans to ingratiate himself to Stella, he becomes attracted to her, and that is something he hasn’t counted on.
I started off not liking the heroine at the beginning but by the end of the story, I loved her strength and courage. Kiro was also a very interesting character especially when he reveled his origins (Montenegro is still a part of Serbia which is my birth country too) and by the time they reached their HEA, I was happy as well. The story actually brought forth memories of what my country went through under the Ottoman Empire, and I love history, so this one hit a home run with me.
The third story is ‘A CHRISTMAS HOMECOMING’ by Allison Lane and her hero is Alex Northcote who after six years in the army, returns home to a house full of debutantes for his taking-as in WIFE. The reason, for his joining the army in the first place, was his broken heart and he never expected to find the object of his pain and suffering, now employed by his mother as her companion.
Sarah is now a widow with two little daughters and she knows that a lot of things need to be explained to Alex, but will he be able to understand her after so many years have gone by? This story was so sweet and while Alex woos Sarah and her little girls, we can’t help but fall in love with their HEA!
In the last story, ‘HOME FOR CHRISTMAS’ by Alicia Rasley our heroine is Verity, a single mother who is in a need of a man to pretend, just for the Christmas Season, that he’s her husband otherwise her father will never accept her illegitimate daughter Beth. You see, Verity went all out to ‘legitimize’ her little one by inventing a husband, Captain Eric Randall, who conveniently is never around and always away on his ship.
Jason Brock has spent most of his life on one of those ships and now owns one, but there’s some unfinished family business that he needs to take care of, and answering an announcement in the papers brings him to Verity’s small rose Cottage in makes him feel as if he’s been thrust into an adventure and mystery that is making him uncomfortable yet he willingly participates in this deception to get his own business taken care of.
I truly loved this story whose characters were strong, sweet and funny. To watch Verity and “Eric” as they pretend to be married, was such a treat, especially while they “parent” little Beth, who by the time the charade is over, is calling Jason Papa. The end of this story will leave you in tears.
So, there you have it. ‘A Regency Holiday’ has four not so unique stories, yet all four are sweet and tender; well-developed (as much as any Anthology can be) and well written. This would be a perfect addition to your Holiday read or really, anytime read. It had a bit of everything in it; sweet and tender moments, bad stepmother and heard hearted fathers as well as some cute little ones. I recommend it whole heartedly!
Melanie for b2b
* I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
I’ve never read anything by any of these four authors so I was a bit skeptical; however I was in a mood for Christmas stories during Christmas season, so what-the-heck? I took a chance, and it paid off. If you’re like me, during this busy season, I’m only good for a quick and light read and all four of these stories more than deliver. There is nothing better than an Anthology for intro to some authors that you’ve never read.
In the first story, COVENTRY’S CHRISTMAS by Rebecca Hagan Lee, we meet Amabel Thurston who upon her father’s death is forced to seek out her guardian as her stepmother is about to remarry and have her new husband move in a home that Amy always thought of her own. She’s very anxious to meet her guardian, Deverel Brookfield, eighth Marquess of Coventry and is surprised, that after a long journey to his main residence, to find the place shrouded in darkness and the Marquess gone to London. Never one to give up, our little heroine manages to track him down…to a brothel! Well, she’s not aware of the fact, in the beginning, thinking it’s an orphanage and requesting of a Madam that runs the place to help her find her guardian.
Devlin hates Christmas and it is well-known to his staff in all of his residences that NOTHING is to be displayed to acknowledge the season. The reasons for it are very personal and better not mentioned to him, so for a few years now Devlin indulges himself with twelve days of pure and unadulterated lust, which help him take his mind off the painful memories.
With his father’s death, he not just inherited the wealth, but the responsibilities as well which in this case include Amy, his father’s young ward.
This was such a cute little story of a young woman whose strength and ability to love is a wonderful compliment to the hero that has forgotten how to enjoy the simpler pleasures in life.
Second story is ‘STAR OF WONDER’ by Lynn Kerstan and in it we meet Stella Bryar who lives in the country with a couple of servants of whom she’s very protective as after her father’s death, they’re her only family. It’s not easy for our heroine to keep up her only legacy; an old and dilapidated run down cottage, as winter approaches and the money is short. When a man appears at her door, asking after her father, she’s taken aback, and because of her stepmother’s cruelty and greediness, she has a very hard time trusting him, but in the end relents and offers him shelter.
Kiro Viscardi (Radanovic) is a man on a mission. He needs to find a treasure that he believes stolen from his home, but to do that, he must have this young woman’s full coöperation. As he makes plans to ingratiate himself to Stella, he becomes attracted to her, and that is something he hasn’t counted on.
I started off not liking the heroine at the beginning but by the end of the story, I loved her strength and courage. Kiro was also a very interesting character especially when he reveled his origins (Montenegro is still a part of Serbia which is my birth country too) and by the time they reached their HEA, I was happy as well. The story actually brought forth memories of what my country went through under the Ottoman Empire, and I love history, so this one hit a home run with me.
The third story is ‘A CHRISTMAS HOMECOMING’ by Allison Lane and her hero is Alex Northcote who after six years in the army, returns home to a house full of debutantes for his taking-as in WIFE. The reason, for his joining the army in the first place, was his broken heart and he never expected to find the object of his pain and suffering, now employed by his mother as her companion.
Sarah is now a widow with two little daughters and she knows that a lot of things need to be explained to Alex, but will he be able to understand her after so many years have gone by? This story was so sweet and while Alex woos Sarah and her little girls, we can’t help but fall in love with their HEA!
In the last story, ‘HOME FOR CHRISTMAS’ by Alicia Rasley our heroine is Verity, a single mother who is in a need of a man to pretend, just for the Christmas Season, that he’s her husband otherwise her father will never accept her illegitimate daughter Beth. You see, Verity went all out to ‘legitimize’ her little one by inventing a husband, Captain Eric Randall, who conveniently is never around and always away on his ship.
Jason Brock has spent most of his life on one of those ships and now owns one, but there’s some unfinished family business that he needs to take care of, and answering an announcement in the papers brings him to Verity’s small rose Cottage in makes him feel as if he’s been thrust into an adventure and mystery that is making him uncomfortable yet he willingly participates in this deception to get his own business taken care of.
I truly loved this story whose characters were strong, sweet and funny. To watch Verity and “Eric” as they pretend to be married, was such a treat, especially while they “parent” little Beth, who by the time the charade is over, is calling Jason Papa. The end of this story will leave you in tears.
So, there you have it. ‘A Regency Holiday’ has four not so unique stories, yet all four are sweet and tender; well-developed (as much as any Anthology can be) and well written. This would be a perfect addition to your Holiday read or really, anytime read. It had a bit of everything in it; sweet and tender moments, bad stepmother and heard hearted fathers as well as some cute little ones. I recommend it whole heartedly!
Melanie for b2b
* I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
December 20, 2017
Have to say wasn't impressed. Wanted something holiday to set me in the mood, and figured I like Regency when I'm not feeling like something heavy. This was just too cliche for me. Granted I don't expect realism in this kind of ready but it just didn't work for me. It might have been alright historically but I'm not commenting on that, I'll let others do that.
April 8, 2023
Wonderful Regency stories
I enjoyed every story in this Christmas Regency collection of books. The story’s were well written, clean, and the characters were nicely established. I definitely recommend these stories for anyone who likes regency romance stories.
I enjoyed every story in this Christmas Regency collection of books. The story’s were well written, clean, and the characters were nicely established. I definitely recommend these stories for anyone who likes regency romance stories.
January 2, 2012
One thing I like about reading books through a review service like NetGalley is finding new authors that I end up liking, new genres that broaden my horizons, and finding common threads between authors. This was true with my latest book - another anthology, which I usually don't read, by 4 authors I hadn't heard of before.
A Regency Christmas is an anthology of 4 Regency-era Christmas stories: "Coventry's Christmas" by Rebecca Hagan Lee; "Star of Wonder" by Lynn Kerstan; "A Christmas Homecoming" by Allison Lane; and "Home for Christmas" by Alicia Rasley. Even though I usually don't read anthologies, I liked all of the stories in this book. They all had a sense of people realizing their lives needed to be different - usually at the instigation of someone unexpected.
In "Coventry's Christmas", Amabel leaves her home to travel to her guardian's house. Her father remarried and her step-mother is pretty and jealous, especially after Amabel's father dies. There are limited eligible men in Amabel's hometown, so Amabel has to leave. Unfortunately for her, the original guardian her father selected died a number of years ago, leaving his son Deverell in charge. He doesn't have the greatest reputation, but he hides a heart that means well under all of the dissolute living he has done. Frankly, the sweetest part to me was a letter that Deverell wrote as a pre-teen to Amabel's father (after his father died), and then the corresponding letter Amabel's father wrote when Deverell reached his majority.
"Star of Wonder" is about a journey. A journey a man has been on since he was 14, and which ends when he arrives at Stella Bryar's home at Christmas search for something he claims her father stole before he died. It's a journey that Stella has to be willing to take within herself, to understand who her father was, and to right a wrong done so many years ago.
Sometimes coming home forces you to see the truth. In "A Christmas Homecoming" Alex comes home to deal with his family estate. He comes face-to-face with the woman who jilted him six years before, a cousin who has issues, a houseful of potential brides (invited by his grandmother), and a mother who is just coming out of her grief over the death of Alex's father. Alex is forced to confront the truth of the various situations, and not just rely on his perceptions of what happened - including the woman who jilted him.
I probably enjoyed reading "Home for Christmas" the most. Justin arrives at Verity's house in search of a knife that Verity advertised in the paper. He is "hijacked" when he arrives by her. She needs him to pose as her husband during her visit with her father. The deal is that Justin will get the knife after a successful visit. There are layers upon layers of deception and untruth in this story - on all sides. Verity isn't completely truthful with Justin, her father, or herself. Justin has been living a lie for so many years that for him to tell the complete truth could cause a lot of damage to those he loves. Verity's father can't see the blessings in front of his face.
I received this book through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own. This review originally appeared on my blog at http://wp.me/pZ0RP-ap.
A Regency Christmas is an anthology of 4 Regency-era Christmas stories: "Coventry's Christmas" by Rebecca Hagan Lee; "Star of Wonder" by Lynn Kerstan; "A Christmas Homecoming" by Allison Lane; and "Home for Christmas" by Alicia Rasley. Even though I usually don't read anthologies, I liked all of the stories in this book. They all had a sense of people realizing their lives needed to be different - usually at the instigation of someone unexpected.
In "Coventry's Christmas", Amabel leaves her home to travel to her guardian's house. Her father remarried and her step-mother is pretty and jealous, especially after Amabel's father dies. There are limited eligible men in Amabel's hometown, so Amabel has to leave. Unfortunately for her, the original guardian her father selected died a number of years ago, leaving his son Deverell in charge. He doesn't have the greatest reputation, but he hides a heart that means well under all of the dissolute living he has done. Frankly, the sweetest part to me was a letter that Deverell wrote as a pre-teen to Amabel's father (after his father died), and then the corresponding letter Amabel's father wrote when Deverell reached his majority.
"Star of Wonder" is about a journey. A journey a man has been on since he was 14, and which ends when he arrives at Stella Bryar's home at Christmas search for something he claims her father stole before he died. It's a journey that Stella has to be willing to take within herself, to understand who her father was, and to right a wrong done so many years ago.
Sometimes coming home forces you to see the truth. In "A Christmas Homecoming" Alex comes home to deal with his family estate. He comes face-to-face with the woman who jilted him six years before, a cousin who has issues, a houseful of potential brides (invited by his grandmother), and a mother who is just coming out of her grief over the death of Alex's father. Alex is forced to confront the truth of the various situations, and not just rely on his perceptions of what happened - including the woman who jilted him.
I probably enjoyed reading "Home for Christmas" the most. Justin arrives at Verity's house in search of a knife that Verity advertised in the paper. He is "hijacked" when he arrives by her. She needs him to pose as her husband during her visit with her father. The deal is that Justin will get the knife after a successful visit. There are layers upon layers of deception and untruth in this story - on all sides. Verity isn't completely truthful with Justin, her father, or herself. Justin has been living a lie for so many years that for him to tell the complete truth could cause a lot of damage to those he loves. Verity's father can't see the blessings in front of his face.
I received this book through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own. This review originally appeared on my blog at http://wp.me/pZ0RP-ap.
December 17, 2011
Authors: Rebecca Hagan, Lynn Kerstan, Allison Lane, Alicia Rasley
This is a collection of 4 short stories, taking place in Regency Era England during the Christmas season.
In Coventry's Christmas, Amy Thurston is ordered from her family home by her father's widow, and seeks the protection of her guardian, Deverel Brookfield. Unfortunately, Deveral was unaware of the arrangement until Amy shows up on unexpectedly, and Deveral is a man with little use for proper young ladies, or for Christmas.
In Star of Wonder, a mysterious stranger disrupts the meager Christmas of Stella Bryar, who has struggled to support herself and the families servants since the death of her father. What did he come to see her father for? And is he dangerous?
A Christmas Homecoming is the story of Alex Northcote, finally home after 6 years in the military, and finds that his grandmother has arranged a house party, with young ladies as eligible brides. Avoiding the trap would have been easier, if not for his grandmother's companion, who is the woman who jilted him years ago for another.
The last story is Home for Christmas; Verity accepts an invitation from her estranged father to spend Christmas with him at his estate, but ever mindful of her father's sense of propriety, she must scramble to find a man to pretend to be her husband, and father to her born out of wedlock little girl. She finds a handsome and enigmatic stranger who may be the answer to her problems.
I enjoyed all these stories; they were short and sweet light reads. The men all seemed to fall in love too quickly to be realistic, but then, these are short stories, and with them being set during Christmas time, I had no problem suspending belief for a little while.
This is a collection of 4 short stories, taking place in Regency Era England during the Christmas season.
In Coventry's Christmas, Amy Thurston is ordered from her family home by her father's widow, and seeks the protection of her guardian, Deverel Brookfield. Unfortunately, Deveral was unaware of the arrangement until Amy shows up on unexpectedly, and Deveral is a man with little use for proper young ladies, or for Christmas.
In Star of Wonder, a mysterious stranger disrupts the meager Christmas of Stella Bryar, who has struggled to support herself and the families servants since the death of her father. What did he come to see her father for? And is he dangerous?
A Christmas Homecoming is the story of Alex Northcote, finally home after 6 years in the military, and finds that his grandmother has arranged a house party, with young ladies as eligible brides. Avoiding the trap would have been easier, if not for his grandmother's companion, who is the woman who jilted him years ago for another.
The last story is Home for Christmas; Verity accepts an invitation from her estranged father to spend Christmas with him at his estate, but ever mindful of her father's sense of propriety, she must scramble to find a man to pretend to be her husband, and father to her born out of wedlock little girl. She finds a handsome and enigmatic stranger who may be the answer to her problems.
I enjoyed all these stories; they were short and sweet light reads. The men all seemed to fall in love too quickly to be realistic, but then, these are short stories, and with them being set during Christmas time, I had no problem suspending belief for a little while.
December 13, 2012
Hands-down the best Christmas anthology I've read this year.
I finished the first story and called up my mother to make sure this book was on her reading list. In involved a lady of negotiable virtue, a bluestocking, and a marriage proposal in five languages. It's like kryptonite for me.
That story alone would have made the book worthwhile, but the other three stories were also pretty darn good. I wished for all of them to be a bit longer, which is a good sign that I was engaged in the worlds.
The story in the second novella was a bit contrived, but I forgive it for this line:
"Sometimes she’d longed for a different life, though, one with fewer sheep, closer neighbors, and friends her own age."
Don't most of us long for a life with fewer sheep?
The heroines are a bluestocking, a fierce and lonely country lady, a badly-abused jilt, and a free-spirited young mother. None of the stories has that deadly sameness to them that can make anthologies bog down so badly.
Read if: You would like a little Christmas romance cheer. You like to see romances where the heroine is not a teenager. You have a soft spot for squishy romantic guys.
Skip if: You are not in the mood for romance. You want a naif as heroine. You don't like men who love kids for their own sake.
Also read: You should just buy this one.
I finished the first story and called up my mother to make sure this book was on her reading list. In involved a lady of negotiable virtue, a bluestocking, and a marriage proposal in five languages. It's like kryptonite for me.
That story alone would have made the book worthwhile, but the other three stories were also pretty darn good. I wished for all of them to be a bit longer, which is a good sign that I was engaged in the worlds.
The story in the second novella was a bit contrived, but I forgive it for this line:
"Sometimes she’d longed for a different life, though, one with fewer sheep, closer neighbors, and friends her own age."
Don't most of us long for a life with fewer sheep?
The heroines are a bluestocking, a fierce and lonely country lady, a badly-abused jilt, and a free-spirited young mother. None of the stories has that deadly sameness to them that can make anthologies bog down so badly.
Read if: You would like a little Christmas romance cheer. You like to see romances where the heroine is not a teenager. You have a soft spot for squishy romantic guys.
Skip if: You are not in the mood for romance. You want a naif as heroine. You don't like men who love kids for their own sake.
Also read: You should just buy this one.
December 27, 2011
A Regency Holiday is a solid collection of Christmastime novellas. The four have a bit of a rushed feel in parts, understandably due to their shortened size, but the overall effect of each is still a well-written story that leaves you with a warm glow. They all take place around the Christmas season, but they don't smack you in the face with overly saccharine seasonal sweetness, or use Christmas as an eye-rollingly obvious plot device, which is nice. I've made it a point to try and read Christmas-themed books this holiday season, and have found that for some reason the historical ones have by far been more satisfying reads than the contemporary--and this anthology is a perfect example. Of the four, the first and the last ("Coventry's Christmas" by Rebecca Hagan Lee and "Home for Christmas" by Alicia Rasley) were my favorites, but the other two (Lynn Kerstan's "Star of Wonder" and Allison Lane's "A Christmas Homecoming") were just as enjoyable. Any of them would benefit from being written into a full-length novel, but readers don't feel cheated at all with the shorter format. I hadn't read anything by any of the four authors before, but my experience with this collection will definitely have me looking for more from all of them in the future.
Read
December 21, 2012Four novellas focusing on the Christmas season set during the Regency period in England.
Coventry's Christmas by Rebecca Hagan Lee
Suffolk, Buckinghamshire, and London in England, December 1813
Star of Wonder by Lynn Kerstan
North Yorkshire Dales, December 1819
A Christmas Homecoming by Susan Pace
December 1814
Home for Christmas by Alicia Rasley
Near Plymouth, December 1818
This Regency Christmas collection is a swift read to enjoy during the month of December. The author capture various Regency themes, such as, step-parents, soldiers, wards, turns of fortune, etc. Each novella is distinct and differ from each other so the reader cannot be bored reading the same themes over and over again in one book.
Reviewed from a NetGalley copy. Thank you, Bell Bridge Books!
Coventry's Christmas by Rebecca Hagan Lee
Suffolk, Buckinghamshire, and London in England, December 1813
Star of Wonder by Lynn Kerstan
North Yorkshire Dales, December 1819
A Christmas Homecoming by Susan Pace
December 1814
Home for Christmas by Alicia Rasley
Near Plymouth, December 1818
This Regency Christmas collection is a swift read to enjoy during the month of December. The author capture various Regency themes, such as, step-parents, soldiers, wards, turns of fortune, etc. Each novella is distinct and differ from each other so the reader cannot be bored reading the same themes over and over again in one book.
Reviewed from a NetGalley copy. Thank you, Bell Bridge Books!
December 7, 2011
This one broke a couple "rules" for me. I don't normally read Christmas books - but this collection felt more like stories that happened at Christmas rather than Christmas stories, if you know what I mean. I also don't always like novellas. Sometimes they're good and sometimes they seem too short for real character development. These got better as they went along. I liked the time period, though some seemed more accurate than others. They are all clean too - though in the first one the hero starts out in a brothel and it talks about how much sex he is going to have - none of it actually happens.
December 22, 2011
I was in the mood for a little Christmas romance, and these stories hit the spot. Coventry's Christmas by Rebecca Hagan Lee was a very strong start for the collection, and I was delighted by how so many small things brought the hero and heroine together. The middle two stories were good but didn't feel as complete as the first and last stories. The last story was a reprint I hadn't read before, Home for Christmas by Alicia Rasley, and I'm going to have to seek out more of her work. Her story some mystery and fleshed out the main characters quite well in a fairly short amount of space.
December 12, 2011
This was free for the kindle and it is the season so I was tempted once again with the freebies. This time I was not disappointed. Four sweet and different historical English romance short stories. The bedroom door stays closed in these stories but there is plenty of foreplay fun. The quality of the four stories are not equal so beware, but it was free so I just skipped ahead. I enjoyed the treasure hunt (second story) and the last story about make-believe becoming reality.
2 stars.
2 stars.
December 3, 2011
I really enjoyed all four stories. They were all stories I wish wouldn't end as I enjoyed all the very likable characters and they all were easy to get attached to. At the end of the fourth story (which I think was my favorite) I was left feeling very happy and will be looking for more books from this author.
November 28, 2011
I got this as a Kindle Freebie. There are 4 novellas in the book and the first three were pretty good but I loved the last one by Alicia Rasley. I will be looking up some more of her books. In the first book there was a lot of talk about how much sex the main guy had but no actual sex, but other than that, it was clean.
December 21, 2011
Actually the synopsis is much better than the book itself but because it is Christmas and we must be filled with the Christmas spirit, I gave the gift of three stars, although two of the stories fell short of even that. Still, if you want light, not really believable, Christmas fluff by the fireside, this one is as good as any.
February 23, 2012
I have discovered I enjoy yet another genre. A Regency Holiday is pure romance and fun. You know each of the couples in these short stories will end up together but the path to 'happily ever after' is what makes it interesting. Each story is completely different and very enjoyable.
December 18, 2011
As my last name will indicate, I am prejudiced in favor of the last story by Alicia Rasley, "Home for Christmas". It is light and lively, yet touching. There is enough suspense and tension to keep the pages turning, while a sweet romance develops.
December 27, 2012
A compilation of 4 short Regency Christmas novellas that was fun to read and certainly fits the bill of light holiday reading. Some were better and more engrossing than others but all in all, a good choice for a winter's diversion.
November 14, 2011
A delightful collection of regency novellas, the last one was by far my favorite.
Review and final rating to follow shortly.
Review and final rating to follow shortly.
March 5, 2012
4 nice stories settled in regency christmas
THANKS TO NETGALLEY and BELL BRIDGE BOOKS for the preview
THANKS TO NETGALLEY and BELL BRIDGE BOOKS for the preview
January 9, 2012
Enjoyable
January 18, 2012
I love this book, could have been longer
December 5, 2011
Four "regency" romances, centered around the Christmas season. I enjoyed them.
December 14, 2011
I always like reading Christmas stories during the holidays, and this was a pleasant collection of holiday historical romances. Good but not great.
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