The Delaney Christmas Carol

The Delaneys #14

by Iris Johansen, Kay Hooper, Fayrene Preston

From three of the brightest stars in contemporary fiction comes a festive trio of romantic classics about an unforgettable family—and the enchanted heirloom that links one generation to the next.…

Christmas Past by Iris Johansen
Killara, Arizona, 1893. Kevin Delaney doesn’t know what to make of the Gypsy beauty he finds rummaging in the attic of Killara, his family’s estate. She claims she’s there to recover an old mirror with extraordinary powers. While Kevin doesn’t believe her mystical talk, there’s no doubt a kind of magic is at work on his heart—just in time for Christmas.…

Christmas Present by Fayrene Preston
Bria Delaney is at Killara for the holidays when she discovers a mirror that reveals more than her reflection. Appearing in the glass is a startlingly handsome man who just as mysteriously disappears—until she meets him in person that night, leading to a Christmas they’ll never forget.…

Christmas Future by Kay Hooper
A heartbreaking vision in the legendary Delaney mirror drove Brett Delaney to the other side of
the world. Now his father’s death bequeaths him the mirror, and its prophecy sends him back to Killara for Christmas, determined to save the home—and the woman—he’s always loved.

Genres: Romance, Christmas, Fiction, Anthologies, Holiday, Contemporary, Short Stories

528 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Iris Johansen is a New York Times bestselling author. She began her writing after her children left home for college. She first achieved success in the early 1980s writing category romances. In 1991, Johansen began writing suspense historical romance novels, starting with the publication of The Wind Dancer. In 1996 Johansen switched genres, turning to crime fiction, with which she has had great success.

She lives in Georgia and is married. Her son, Roy Johansen, is an Edgar Award-winning screenwriter and novelist. Her daughter, Tamara, serves as her research assistant.

IRIS JOHANSEN is The New York Times bestselling author of Night and Day, Hide Away, Shadow Play, Your Next Breath, The Perfect Witness, Live to See Tomorrow, Silencing Eve, Hunting Eve, Taking Eve, Sleep No More, What Doesn't Kill You, Bonnie, Quinn, Eve, Chasing The Night, Eight Days to Live, Blood Game, Deadlock, Dark Summer, Pandora's Daughter, Quicksand, Killer Dreams, On The Run, and more. And with her son, Roy Johansen, she has coauthored Night Watch, The Naked Eye, Sight Unseen, Close Your Eyes, Shadow Zone, Storm Cycle, and Silent Thunder.

http://www.irisjohansen.com

Reviews

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am always on the lookout for Christmas books that give you . . . something more. Something more than a saccharine sweet holiday romance, that is. These novellas more than fit the bill in that regard. The something more they have is a mystical mirror that allows gifted Delaney's to see their true love and the fate that might befall them. Years ago these three authors developed a romance series for Loveswept. I have never read any of those books, nor have I read much by these authors either, but that in no way detracted from my enjoyment of this wrap up of the series. The Delaney's are a family that stretch back for many generations and are wildly wealthy, handsome, beautiful and strong willed.

[*CJ* · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Delaney Christmas Carol" is a collection of three novellas, and conclusion to the Delaney family saga. The plot is about a magic mirror which can show past, present, future, as well as predict tragedies.

"Christmas Past" by Iris Johansen is the story of Kevin and Zara.
Kevin is the half-breed son of Rising Star and Joshua, and lives his days whoring without ambition because of the contempt and pain he faced both from his grandmother Malvina, as well as his tribe.
One night at the Bordeaux, his aunt Silver interrupts his pleasurable tom-catting and sends him back to Killara, he ends up meeting the Gypsy Zara, who has invaded his house to search for a magic mirror. Zara claims to be a Delaney, and soon they strike an unscrupulousness bargain as passion ignites..
If you dont mind distant incest/consanguinity, this one can be read without a hitch. Even though its not proved, the couple are possibly distant cousins but that doesn't quell their lust.
The hero is a typical IJ obessive, possesive one- the heroine is strong but slave to her carnal hungers just like him- and there is great chemistry between them.
What I really liked was how much Kevin tried to make Zara feel at home, and it was funny the way Zara kept putting her smelly talismans all over the place to protect him.
Glad these two outcasts found peace and love in one another. Loved their mirror related tales and ramblings, especially the epilogue.
Safe+ female V card H is with OW in the start of the book before meeting the h. Safe after meeting her
4.5/5

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"Christmas Present" by Fayrene Preston is the story of Bria and Kells.
Brianna "Bria" Delaney is the daughter of Burke and Cara, and twin to their son Patrick (named after their ancestors).
When Bria is up exploring in her mother's attic, she comes across a beautiful engraved mirror- who ends up showing an image of a gorgeous man! Soon she comes across Kells, her father's business associate- and realizes they are one and the same.
The mirror starts showing her images of the couple together, but is it her wishful thinking or is their actually magic?
Really enjoyed this one! The passion and love developed slowly between Bria and Kells, and while they initially fought it, it slowly embraces them while the enchanted mirror continues to show its glimpses. The only issue came in the last 1/2 when the h went kinda cray about the mirror and its predictions, and I felt bad for the H for putting up with her crazy drama.
Zara's letter was a great addition, and so was the epilogue.
Safe+ both experienced leads
4/5

----------------------

"Christmas Future" by Kay Hooper is the story of Brett and Cassie.
When Brett sees his home burning in the elusive mirror, he decides to return years later to Killara. His ex Cassie had married his father, and is now his widow managing his estates.
This was my least favorite in this series. The hero's reason for going away didnt make sense- "just because he couldnt stop it", neither did his faith in his love. Even when he returns he does not believe the heroine, until he gets the proof *cough* hymen *cough*.
Also this book changed what the mirror was prophesied to do and could be changed.
Overall an below average read.
SWE h has known H since childhood and loved him until she married his father but didnt sleep with him. Its hinted H has slept OW until h grew up.
2/5
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Overall, if I bar the last book, it was a good ending to the Delaney saga and I enjoyed the journey. Also glad that the stories happened in different generations, and so were more enjoyable- filled with love, happiness and heartbreak.

Round up rating of 3.5/5 and SWE

[Maura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Christmas Past - Iris Johansen - 3/5 - Zara is a gypsy (Rom) who grew up in Ireland and has come to Killara to claim a mirror, made by her people and given to the Delaney’s (with whom she also claims distant kinship). Since they’re not using it, she wants it back. But Kevin (Rising Star’s son) is lord of the manor now and he’s grown up hard and hurting. He hates having to be at Killara and fears the boredom if he can’t fulfill his lustful appetites in Hell’s Bluff. When he finds Zara in his attic, he makes a bargain with her. He’ll help her find the mirror if she’ll keep him “entertained.” She agrees because she wants the mirror more than anything. But time spent with Kevin deepens the connection that springs up between them and causes Kevin to look at his life and what he’s taking for granted. Pretty soon, he’s trying to get Zara to marry him, but how do you tame such a wild creature?

I wanted this story to be longer. I couldn’t help but feel this story suffered from being a novella. The sex scenes were all cut short except for the first one, which was intensely awkward and rushed. That’s the one where Kevin decides he’s done waiting for Zara to get comfortable with the idea of sex with him (part of his blackmail bargain) and decides he can make her want it. So he strips her, spreads her legs and discovers she’s a virgin. No matter - of course she loves it anyway. Then there isn’t a single loving scene between them later. As much as I don’t like heroes who go through with blackmail sex, I can at least appreciate the fact that he felt guilt and remorse for it later (but how much of that was because she was a virgin?) And the love more or less happens off screen, though you can see how there’s a friendship developing and that Kevin is sort of mellowing for Zara. That was nice. I also liked that he refused to give into his lust until she accepted his marriage proposal. Now Zara reminded me of Silver in her child-like mentality about dealing with the world, her straightforward attitude and directness and her refusal to admit to weakness or show vulnerability. In fact, Zara might as well have been Silver. Felt like the same character to me. This story has plenty of angsty feelings, at least enough to keep me reading, so that was good. I liked that Shamus and Malvina (and Josh for that matter) were finally dead. I can’t fathom how this author seems to think that Malvina was worthy of admiration. She’s talked up to be the worst monster alive (and she was pretty much in Fierce Splendor) and then Kevin says, “I never hated her, I admired her.” Honestly? He admired a woman who despised him because of his heritage? Ugh.

Christmas Present - Fayrene Preston - 3/5 - Bria is Burke Delaney’s daughter and she is head strong and fancy free for this story when she stumbles upon the mirror and glimpses the future. She sees a strange man who turns out to be Kells, a man her father is doing business with and the sparks fly instantly. Now that she believes what the mirror shows her, Bria becomes somewhat addicted, constantly going back to see visions of her and Kells kissing and making love and then trying to make them happen. As she falls in love with Kells and he with her, she keeps going back to the mirror. But then she sees a vision she doesn’t expect, Kells holding a smoking gun over her dead father. Will this vision come true as the others have?

I found this interesting...it’s kind of insta-lovey, but then that insta-love comes back to bite our couple in the ass because the trust that should build with a longer fall into love isn’t there and so Kells doesn’t believe Bria about the mirror and she doesn’t believe that he won’t kill her father. Which has me wondering, what kind of love is it without trust? It also felt like Bria was actually in full-on addiction mode with the mirror, which was pretty realistic. Can’t say I wouldn’t do the same thing with a find like that. But as interesting as this was, it didn’t do much for me in the romance department. These two were all fire and passion and anger (which makes for sexy scenes together) but not much tempered time together to really get to know each other.

Christmas Future - Kay Hooper - 3/5 - Brett Delaney walked away from his ruthless father and his Delaney heritage 10 years earlier after looking into the mirror and seeing the girl he loved marrying his father. He hasn’t looked back since. When he looks into the mirror again after his father’s death, he sees Killara’s destruction. This time, he’s determined to beat fate and do what it takes to save the place he knew as home. When he sees Cassie, the girl he loved who indeed married his father (after also seeing it in the mirror despite not being a Delaney), Brett is equally attracted and wanting to pick up where he left off and bitter about what he sees as her betrayal with his father. But she believes him about what he saw in the mirror and is willing to help however she can. Killara is as much her home as Brett’s.

This was probably my favorite of this anthology, probably because of how angsty it is and how the mirror really seems to take on the role of character here. And then there’s the whole fate vs. free will theme happening. Case in point, both Brett and Cassie look in the mirror and see Cassie marrying Brett’s father. This prompts Brett to leave Cassie without a word and break her heart (Side rant: and it takes a positive spin later when Cassie points out that Brett would be a whole lot more like his despised father if he hadn’t left...as much as I agree with this, I still don’t like it when they put positive spins on a guy leaving...Here Cassie focused on that and totally let go the fact that Brett left without a word to Cassie and broke her heart in the process). And because Brett, the man she loved, had left, Cassie has no idea what to do but when she sees herself marrying the father in the mirror, she decides that’s what she should do. If neither of them had looked, it never would have happened. I didn’t like that Brett was stubborn about not seeing that his leaving caused the very thing he didn’t want to happen. I also didn’t like the fact that he basically requires proof of her virginity to get over his anger of her marrying his father...despite her telling him she’d never slept with him in the first place. But I did appreciate that Cassie called him out on it and that he did feel at least some remorse about it. So good and bad, just like the others, but this was a much more entertaining read for me.

[Mudpie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found thisbook because it's the only book with Fayrene Preston in my library.

The first story was by Iris Johansen and sets the scene for the Delaneymagic mirror. Zara was plucky and I know the first scene with the hero was to tell us his tomcatting ways, I usually do not like to see my hero or heroine in bed or being intimate with anyone else. In this case the bero was in the prostitute's bed at the brothel. Yick! It was a fun and sexy tale.

My favourite part had to be how Zara saw her descendant "Elizabeth" finding the mirror...and the same point was beautifully picked up in the second story.

I like the second story by Fayrene Preston the best. The chemistry between our couple was sexy and hot. It was also the story that dealt with the mirror best I felt. That you might see images in the mirror, but it's only a snapshot of a moment in time without context. Those who saw put their own interpretation to it and tried to avert disaster, but if anything whatever is shown will happen. Of this we have certainty.

Coming to the third story by Kay Hooper, I admit I skimmed through the rest of the story after the heroine explained why she married the hero's father. It made no sense to me, even after the full truth was revealed that it's a marriage of convenience to safeguard the ranch. There were so many other ways for Cassie to remain on the ranch...so I couldn't wrap my head around this and not feel just yicky. She did not like Kane, and there really was no need to marry him in my opinion.

Don't even get me started on the mirror biz.

In the first two books it was pretty much established that the mirror may show images of the past, present and future. No matter what, the images WOULD come to pass. Therefore now in this book the author tried to suggest that the images made self fulfilling prophesies...like Cassie marrying Kane... and tried to affect actions and behaviour by warning of disasters?! That made previous disasters PREVENTABLE Iike in this case of Killara burning?!

If the book only had the first two stories I'd gladly give it a 4*. Both stories were beautifully linked and flowed. There was coherence. The third story was like no link to the previous two and attempts to make the story seemed set in the "future" was quite lame. The "new" technologies seemed boring even in the early 1990s! Plus I didn't really connect or feel for both our main characters.

[Judy Hankom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed these three stories about the Delaney Family. The stories are filled with love, passion and a bit of magic.

Iris Johansen starts it off with Christmas Past. Kevin Delaney is the Delaney we meet In Killara, Arizona. Zara St. Cloud has come from Dublin to break a spell. She knows there is a special mirror that can tell the future. She rummages in the attic to find it. Kevin is in danger from a man who wants to kill him. It was an interesting time to see how the Delaney family found a way to continue.

Christmas Present is by Fayrene Preston. Bria Delaney joins her parents for Christmas. She discovers an usual mirror in the attic. It shows her with a handsome man who she meets later in her parents' home. Kells Braxton has come to settle a business sale with her father, Burke. Bria and Kells come to feel intense feelings for each other. Bria sees more images in the mirror, one that is very disturbing.

Christmas Future is written by Kay Hooper. Brett Delaney has lived in Australia for ten years. He fell out with his father and left vowing never to return. He didn't even return when his father died. But when the magic mirror is shipped to him, he sees an image of Killara burning. Of course, he returns to save the family home. He is the very last Delaney left. He meets Cassie, the woman his father married. He has loved her for a long time, just not realizing it.

A storm approaches that threatens the cattle and all else on the ranch. Brett tries to determine who wants to burn Killara and delves into records to see who may want to since his father rammed his way through business, rampaging and pillaging. It is a bit of a fluke when we finally learn who is planning to burn Killara.

Brett and Cassie are the future of Killara and will continue the legacy of Delaneys.

I enjoyed the stories.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

From three of the brightest stars in contemporary fiction comes a festive trio of romantic classics about an unforgettable family — and the enchanted heirloom that links one generation to the next.
Christmas Past by Iris Johansen
Killara, Arizona, 1893. Kevin Delaney doesn’t know what to make of the Gypsy beauty he finds rummaging in the attic of Killara, his family’s estate. She claims she’s there to recover an old mirror with extraordinary powers. While Kevin doesn’t believe her mystical talk, there’s no doubt a kind of magic is at work on his heart — just in time for Christmas.
Christmas Present by Fayrene Preston
Bria Delaney is at Killara for the holidays when she discovers a mirror that reveals more than her reflection. Appearing in the glass is a startlingly handsome man who just as mysteriously disappears — until she meets him in person that night, leading to a Christmas they’ll never forget.
Christmas Future by Kay Hooper
A heartbreaking vision in the legendary Delaney mirror drove Brett Delaney to the other side of
the world. Now his father’s death bequeaths him the mirror, and its prophecy sends him back to Killara for Christmas, determined to save the home — and the woman — he’s always loved.
A story in the way of a Christmas carol. A long look at Past, Present and Future Delaney's. Very good and interesting story line. With beautiful stories about each generation. 4stars.

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice enjoyable three story romance!

I liked how the family, the Delaney's, and the heirloom mirror were the focus for all three stories. It's a good trope to follow an object through different hands. Another detail I appreciated was the generation gap between the three different stories, so that none of the characters, from each story, had direct contact with each other. The only detail that was wanting is the years for the 'present' story and 'future'.

[Trish · Rating 2 out of 5]

This collection of romantic novellas from 30 years ago didn't age very well.

The meeting of eyes and stirring of lust, rough kisses, quick proposals, absurd situations. The mirror was a fun element, but not enough to carry the stories. For what it's worth, the first and second stories were okaying, but the third was awful and didn't follow the same "rules" for the mirror.

Borrowed via Overdrive (looking for a fun Christmas read)

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing remotely like a Christmas Carol, this focuses on several generations of one family with the same home, history and traditions over a 200+ year time span. Extremely interesting. Not time travel. A magic mirror. But a mirror as apt to be sinister as to be prophetic. A delightful read that I started and finished at the perfect time!

[Teddy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is three short stories. I haven't read any of the others in this series. The three books in this series were basically all the same story but in different time periods - boy meets girl, they don't want to like each other but have angry sex anyway and end up falling madly in love. Not my favorites.

[Nancy Tippett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still the Saga ..

Read This Coerce Splendour years ago. Introduction to Dominic Elspeth and her firecrackers... all a series of books that lead to this collection of 3 Christmas stories Delaney style! Very cool indeed.

[Janelle Johns-tutera · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another Indian Harbour Beach Club pick. I am not a romance reader so it’s probably unfair of me to do reviews but I am not one to shy away in giving my opinion 🤷‍♀️
I gave it two stars as opposed to one as I was able to finish it and I do like inter generational stories.

[Diana H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the Delaney series - This book is historical, contemporary, and a little bit futuristic as well. Very enjoyable.

[Gerda Leek · Rating 1 out of 5]

too explicitly sexual

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the concept surrounding a magical mirror weaved into these three romances.

[Castle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great addition to Delaney Saga

[Sandy Carmichael · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the most past I enjoyed this group of stories about one family with its twist of super natural, but could have done with less of the torrid sex parts.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had to laugh at the bizarre mixture of future and old, out-of-date tech in the last story.

[Kathy Church · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were three novelas in this book written by different authors. They were all very good.

[Jillena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Needed something light and Christmasy Got this. It was not light and not very Christmasy. It did have a great deal of sex that I skipped over. This was sappy and unbelievable.

[Elena · Rating 2 out of 5]

I guess 2.5* on average (i know it doesn't quite add up, but indulge me!:) )

~Past~
2*
I found this story entirely too short to explain what was going on with the magic mirror and conflict at the end. We don't get a clear idea of what the mirror actually does... And what's with the insta-love?! They meet one day, he blackmails her into sleeping with him the same night, and they are in love the next morning?! Also, who was the person wanting to kill him?! Totally didn't get that... Otherwise, it had potential... I guess if it were longer...

~Present~
3*
I guess insta-love is a theme in this anthology... Yeah, mirror predicts the future and the fact that she goes out of her way to act out what she sees in the mirror has nothing to do with this?! Why does the letter from Zara address her as Elizabeth, when her name is actually Bria!? Also, it is quite unrealistic how she sees Kells murdering her father in the mirror but isn't afraid of him, she still loves him and just wants to stop him from commiting a murder so that they can be together?! The fact that he could be a killer doesn't concern you, as long as you stop him in time?!

~Future~
2*
No insta-love in this one...They seem to have loved each other for the past 10 years, even though he left her and she married his FATHER. Ew! Wtf?! And the climax of the story!? His business partner from Australia tries to burn his home down and kill his lover so that he would come back to Australia and their business?!?! Really!?

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Delaneys series has three authors rotating writing books. I read The Delaney Christmas Carol first, and was fine. For it, each author wrote a story - one past, one present, one future - of the same family line, the Delaneys. (The second story has one scene describing everyone present as if we should know them, but that didn't harm the story for me).

Each story starts early/mid December and ends with Christmas. As the foreword tells us, this family has a mirror, gifted by gypsies long ago, that may show a past or future scene if a Delaney looks into it. Most Delaneys eventually decide to put it away - if you know something bad is going to happen, you start suffering sooner. But not all things seen are bad, and you wonder if the mirror is predicting events or controlling them.

This book is definitely in the romance style. The Delaney character of the era always conquers or gets conquered, ending up in bed. The stories around the romance are quite different from your formula romance. I'd put this in the "sappy Christmas category", which is good for a reader, in moderation.

I found myself liking the Delaneys, and wondering what happened to the generations between the stories given. I put the first book on my bookshelf.

[Farrah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was a little disappointed; it’s not that I thought it was bad, it’s just that only one of the three stories really caught my attention. I wanted more adventure and/or action to draw something emotional out of me. Of the three stories within the anthology, Christmas Past by Iris Johansen was probably the only one that affected me. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m more into historical romance than contemporary or if it’s because I found the main characters more powerful than the others.The magic mirror had me intrigued but slowly faded away as I read the next stories. While this won’t be a book I would personally reread again for future seasons, this still might be the book for someone else.

[Samantha Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was three books in one. Three well known romance authors got together to write this book which contains "Christmas Past", "Christmas Present" and "Christmas Future". While I respect the challenge these authors faced as they tried to create one uniform book written by three different authors. They did a pretty good job of writing a cohesive book and tying all the stories together. The problem I have is that each story was just okay. I kept waiting for one of the stories to really grab me but that didn't happen. This is a nice seasonal read but nothing super special.

[Becca · Rating 2 out of 5]

"I made a mistake with this selection. I was looking for a Christmas book for December and picked this, as it came in three parts, past, present and future, each written by a different author about the same family. What I didn't realize is that these must be romance writers. At any rate, the moderately interesting story read like the cover of a romance, heaving breasts, swollen manhood, and all. I did enjoy the descriptions of the grand Christmas decorations, the vast ranch home, and the clothing, but the rest was pretty lame."

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I like all three stories in the book I was a little lost with figuring out who the characters where in the Present and Future stories. There was a huge gap in the years that these stories took place and that caused a little confusion in the beginning of the stories. Also the first story by Iris Johansen was better than the other two, just my own personal opinion. I am a true Iris Johansen fan and have read almost all of her books, still trying to catch up with a few since I just began reading her books about 2 years ago.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It had mystery, romance, and some paranormal activity. It takes place around a big house in Arizona, a ranch, a magic mirror given as a gift to the Delaney family by an Indian tribe, and different family members in the past, present, and future. It was great to follow the family and the mirror as years passed, and events unfold around Christmas time.It was a new concept and I loved it. I would own this an read it no matter what time of the year. Just enchanting....

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll start by saying I have issue with sex scenes in Christmas books. Christmas, however, was merely a blip on the radar of this book. I was drawn to this book because of Iris Johansen and her Christmas Past portion did not disappoint. I had a hard time getting through Christmas Present and almost stopped reading. Not that it was bad; it just didn't hold my interest. I'm glad I kept reading because it is a good book, but no one compares to Iris. She rocks and I loved her portion of the book.

[Sherri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was like reading 3 books in one. There was a past, present and future section in this book. There were 3 different stories but about the Delaney family members. The story takes place on their ranch in Arizona, near Tuscon. All three stories had good endings, which I like. I would definitely recommend this book.

[Joan 2 · Rating 3 out of 5]

My last Christmas fling of 2011! It was a good choice too! This was three separate stories by three authors. The stories were related, by some connection to the Delaney family. One took place in the past, one the present, and one the future. Very clever! All were of the romance genre, and may I say very hot romance! Not my usual fare, but nice for a change!