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A Stockingful of Joy
When her father is shot down in cold blood by two gunmen searching for land deeds he had been hired to deliver to Paradise, Montana, Deidre Kenney and her cousin Maura embark on a perilous journey to finish his assignment and encounter two extraordinary men who will change their lives forever. Reprint.
319 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 1, 1999
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740 people want to read
About the author
Hannah Howell
116 books2,644 followersHannah Dustin Howell is a best-selling American author of over 40 historical romance novels. Many of her novels are set in medieval Scotland. She also writes under the names Sarah Dustin, Sandra Dustin, and Anna Jennet (see below).
She has also used the following pseudonyms:
Anna Jennet, Sarah Dustin and Sandra Dustin
She has also used the following pseudonyms:
Anna Jennet, Sarah Dustin and Sandra Dustin
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
October 25, 2017
A Stockingful of Joy delivers two love stories happening simultaneously and involving two headstrong cousins determined to fulfill their family legacy and prevent a murderer from escaping justice.
A Christmas in Paradise
Deirdre took to heart her father’s dying wish to complete his last job and deliver important documents to the Callahan family in Paradise, Montana. Papers that would put a stop to land claims against them by a rival family.
She knows it dangerous, seeing as how the rival family sent hired killers to take out her father to prevent the papers getting to the right hands. But with nothing left to loose, she and her cousin Maura split up and each take a different route to Paradise.
It should have been a grueling and lonely trip, just a few weeks from Christmas, but a chance encounter with Tyrone Callahan and Deirde finds herself not only not alone but fighting an attraction to Ty that she didn’t see coming.
Maura’s Christmas Secret
Maura is risking her life for her cousin, hoping the killers after them will be distracted by her and her forged copies of the paperwork, long enough to allow Deirdre to deliver the authentic copies to their rightful owners.
Bumping into Mitchell Callahan is both a blessing and a curse. With his easy smiles and sinful kisses, Maura is torn between feeling grateful to have someone to share the burden and trepidation because the heat brewing between them could consume her.
With a clouded view of marriage and men in general, Maura is resistant to Mitchell. But from first sight, Mitch knew Maura was it for him. With danger following them close behind and a race to Paradise in time to save his family’s land, Mitch will have to use his every skill and resource to keep Maura alive and show her that trusting him wouldn’t be her biggest mistake, but her greatest strength.
What I liked:
Both stories were fast paced and kept you engaged. No skimming needed! Maura and Mitch were by far my favorite couple. I liked that it was pretty instant for Mitch, how important Maura would come to be for him and that he had to work to convince Maura to give him, them, a chance. Maura was a bit stubborn and opinionated but she wasn’t a bully or blinded to the truth. She just needed a nudge and Mitch was only too happy to nudge her along, Lol!
What I didn't like:
I never really warmed up to Tyrone, he was such an opposite of Mitchell, especially in his way of handling his attraction to his h. At times he came off as too callous and cold. I guess what really bugged me was the fact that he was 100% okay with seducing Deidre, knowing she was a virgin, innocent, gently bred and orphaned. All this and he still planned to sleep with her until the passion burned out. Where was his chivalry? His honor? His basic human decency? Deidre might have gone into this affair willingly but she did it out of love for him, where are he was just in lust with her. And he was pretty convincing since Deidre goes on thinking it was all just a no-strings affair up until the very (and I mean very) end!
Memorable Moment:
When Deidre gets captured and Tyrone has to rescue her.
Would I recommend? Yes
I loved Mitch and Maura and they deserve a read. So if you’re in the mood for lighthearted, low on the drama scale western romances with some feel good Christmas vibes, I would recommend you give this one a read.
* * * ARC provided for an honest review * * *
SAFETY INFO:
A Christmas in Paradise
Deirdre took to heart her father’s dying wish to complete his last job and deliver important documents to the Callahan family in Paradise, Montana. Papers that would put a stop to land claims against them by a rival family.
She knows it dangerous, seeing as how the rival family sent hired killers to take out her father to prevent the papers getting to the right hands. But with nothing left to loose, she and her cousin Maura split up and each take a different route to Paradise.
It should have been a grueling and lonely trip, just a few weeks from Christmas, but a chance encounter with Tyrone Callahan and Deirde finds herself not only not alone but fighting an attraction to Ty that she didn’t see coming.
Maura’s Christmas Secret
Maura is risking her life for her cousin, hoping the killers after them will be distracted by her and her forged copies of the paperwork, long enough to allow Deirdre to deliver the authentic copies to their rightful owners.
Bumping into Mitchell Callahan is both a blessing and a curse. With his easy smiles and sinful kisses, Maura is torn between feeling grateful to have someone to share the burden and trepidation because the heat brewing between them could consume her.
With a clouded view of marriage and men in general, Maura is resistant to Mitchell. But from first sight, Mitch knew Maura was it for him. With danger following them close behind and a race to Paradise in time to save his family’s land, Mitch will have to use his every skill and resource to keep Maura alive and show her that trusting him wouldn’t be her biggest mistake, but her greatest strength.
What I liked:
Both stories were fast paced and kept you engaged. No skimming needed! Maura and Mitch were by far my favorite couple. I liked that it was pretty instant for Mitch, how important Maura would come to be for him and that he had to work to convince Maura to give him, them, a chance. Maura was a bit stubborn and opinionated but she wasn’t a bully or blinded to the truth. She just needed a nudge and Mitch was only too happy to nudge her along, Lol!
What I didn't like:
I never really warmed up to Tyrone, he was such an opposite of Mitchell, especially in his way of handling his attraction to his h. At times he came off as too callous and cold. I guess what really bugged me was the fact that he was 100% okay with seducing Deidre, knowing she was a virgin, innocent, gently bred and orphaned. All this and he still planned to sleep with her until the passion burned out. Where was his chivalry? His honor? His basic human decency? Deidre might have gone into this affair willingly but she did it out of love for him, where are he was just in lust with her. And he was pretty convincing since Deidre goes on thinking it was all just a no-strings affair up until the very (and I mean very) end!
Memorable Moment:
When Deidre gets captured and Tyrone has to rescue her.
Would I recommend? Yes
I loved Mitch and Maura and they deserve a read. So if you’re in the mood for lighthearted, low on the drama scale western romances with some feel good Christmas vibes, I would recommend you give this one a read.
* * * ARC provided for an honest review * * *
SAFETY INFO:
October 12, 2014
This felt like the same story with different characters. The same thing happens in both stories. Love Hannah Howell but this book was very slow moving and repetitive.
November 22, 2017
Waste of time, same story twice, no historical knowledge
January 11, 2018
Who doesn't enjoy a double feature of Christmas romance with a little mystery thrown in to sweeten the deal? Hannah Howell delivers a pair of adorable stories about two women who head to Montana to fulfill a father's dying wish. There, confronted by two dark and brooding men, they begin a journey to find love and closure. A good book for the holiday season...
December 6, 2017
I enjoyed this book very much! It's full of adventure and character's that you fall in love with. There are two stories in this book that are linked together. Deidre and Maura are cousins who were raised together. When Deirdre's father dies the two women set out on a journey to finish the job of delivering land deeds to Paradise Montana to save a family's land. The first story is Deidre's and the second one is Maura's.
January 27, 2008
A Stockingful of Joy - G+
Howell, Hannah
When her father is shot down in cold blood by two gunmen searching for land deeds he had been hired to deliver to Paradise, Montana, Deidre Kenney and her cousin Maura embark on a perilous journey to finish his assignment and encounter two extraordinary men who will change their lives forever.
I enjoy Howell's writing.
Howell, Hannah
When her father is shot down in cold blood by two gunmen searching for land deeds he had been hired to deliver to Paradise, Montana, Deidre Kenney and her cousin Maura embark on a perilous journey to finish his assignment and encounter two extraordinary men who will change their lives forever.
I enjoy Howell's writing.
January 15, 2018
**This ARC was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
This book has two stories, and while both are enjoyable, the second is almost an exact duplicate. I liked the characters and the setting/plot. I didn't quite make it all the way through the second story though, because it was so similar to the first.
This book has two stories, and while both are enjoyable, the second is almost an exact duplicate. I liked the characters and the setting/plot. I didn't quite make it all the way through the second story though, because it was so similar to the first.
December 31, 2018
I won this in a goodreads giveaway last year, loaned it to my sister so just picked it up this holiday to read. I felt like the 2 stories were essentially the same. I also found a lot of errors throughout book including in the description of book and felt that it was poorly edited/proofed. It was okay.
October 16, 2017
Posted on Les Romantiques - Le forum du site
Reviewed by Rinou
Review Copy from the Publisher
Already published several times since 1999, A Stockingful of Joy is part of these republications I ask for on NetGalley without first checking the reviews of the previous editions. This book is made of two stories taking place at the same time.
The starting idea is the in America in 1882, a man charged with delivering deeds to a family in Montana is killed in Saint Louis by enemies of this family. Before dying he makes his daughter and his niece promise to go on with his mission. So we follow in each story the journey of both cousins.
In the first story, Deidre has decided to journey by stagecoach. She’s accosted during a stop by two men wanting to retrieve the documents she’s carrying, and she owes salvation to Tyrone’s intervention (and not Patrick as said on the blurb). Her savior turns out to be one of the brothers to which she must deliver the documents, but she refuses to give them to him and go back home because she agreed with her cousin to meet in Montana.
From the start they are very attracted to each other, Deidre tries to resist because she doesn’t want to become the mistress of a man who’s not promising anything. Of course she’ll soon change her mind, which allows us to have great love scenes. Tyrone is going to be almost at the end of the story to confess his feelings for the heroine, because of a romantic disappointment several years ago.
In the second story, Maura makes her way by train, but rail transportation t this time is irregular and dependant on the weather. While she’s assaulted by two drunkards in a little street she’s saved by Mitch, the brother of the previous hero. She refuses to give her documents too, and both go on traveling together. In this couple Mitch is ready to commit directly, convinced since their meeting that Maura is his true love. However Maura refuses to love any man after seeing her mother suffering from her father’s lack of attention. It will take almost to the end for her to change her mind, even if she cedes quickly to her desire, giving us once again great love scenes.
The common point for the two stories is evidently the style, especially what is called headhopping, in other words the fact to go constantly from the thoughts of one character to those of another and return. I find this quite unpleasant, and the all book is written like this. There are also rides through plains in the middle of winter, a part where the hero is cared for by the heroine, and of course the bad guys throw wrenches in the gears regularly almost till the end, including an episode where the bad guys almost succeed in taking the documents.
If you think the coincidence of the two brothers meeting the two cousins is a bit farfetched, it’s explain by one of the heroes with the fact there are not 50 ways to go from Saint Louis to Montana.
To conclude this is a book easily readable in spite of some flaw but which has nothing special.
Reviewed by Rinou
Review Copy from the Publisher
Already published several times since 1999, A Stockingful of Joy is part of these republications I ask for on NetGalley without first checking the reviews of the previous editions. This book is made of two stories taking place at the same time.
The starting idea is the in America in 1882, a man charged with delivering deeds to a family in Montana is killed in Saint Louis by enemies of this family. Before dying he makes his daughter and his niece promise to go on with his mission. So we follow in each story the journey of both cousins.
In the first story, Deidre has decided to journey by stagecoach. She’s accosted during a stop by two men wanting to retrieve the documents she’s carrying, and she owes salvation to Tyrone’s intervention (and not Patrick as said on the blurb). Her savior turns out to be one of the brothers to which she must deliver the documents, but she refuses to give them to him and go back home because she agreed with her cousin to meet in Montana.
From the start they are very attracted to each other, Deidre tries to resist because she doesn’t want to become the mistress of a man who’s not promising anything. Of course she’ll soon change her mind, which allows us to have great love scenes. Tyrone is going to be almost at the end of the story to confess his feelings for the heroine, because of a romantic disappointment several years ago.
In the second story, Maura makes her way by train, but rail transportation t this time is irregular and dependant on the weather. While she’s assaulted by two drunkards in a little street she’s saved by Mitch, the brother of the previous hero. She refuses to give her documents too, and both go on traveling together. In this couple Mitch is ready to commit directly, convinced since their meeting that Maura is his true love. However Maura refuses to love any man after seeing her mother suffering from her father’s lack of attention. It will take almost to the end for her to change her mind, even if she cedes quickly to her desire, giving us once again great love scenes.
The common point for the two stories is evidently the style, especially what is called headhopping, in other words the fact to go constantly from the thoughts of one character to those of another and return. I find this quite unpleasant, and the all book is written like this. There are also rides through plains in the middle of winter, a part where the hero is cared for by the heroine, and of course the bad guys throw wrenches in the gears regularly almost till the end, including an episode where the bad guys almost succeed in taking the documents.
If you think the coincidence of the two brothers meeting the two cousins is a bit farfetched, it’s explain by one of the heroes with the fact there are not 50 ways to go from Saint Louis to Montana.
To conclude this is a book easily readable in spite of some flaw but which has nothing special.
January 4, 2023
Rating: 3.5/5
Wow, first of all I didn't expect the level of spice in this book. I was looking forward to a cutesy romance book but I'm not going to complain with the spice I was given by this book. Overall, I gave it a 3.5/5 rating mainly because of the writing style and plot. There were too many inconsistencies in the book that was just hard to ignore. There was one instance that Maura and Deidre's names were interchanged. That gave me whiplash if you can imagine lmao. The two stories and their plot were painfully similar that I feel like the author themself got confused while writing it at some point, that's why the names got mixed up. Heck, even the blurb contained the wrong name of the supposed hero in the first story. Tyrone Callahan was the one written in the story but it was Patrick Callahan in the blurb. The plot was repetitive, literally the flow of the first story is identical to the second one. It goes like this: Atleast I felt like the author tried to make up for it by creating different characters and dynamics in the relationships involved.
I rated A Christmas in Paradise 3.5/5 stars.
I didn't quite like Tyrone as much as I did Mitchell. There was this scene I honestly liked their friend Jason more than Tyrone. I hope he has a story.
I rated Maura's Christmas Secret 4/5 stars.
I liked Maura and Mitchell's story a bit more than the first one. Atleast Maura showed more depth even when it was by the end of the book. Plus Mitchell is a better man than Tyrone, personality-wise. He atleast comes off with genuine feelings for Maura right at the very start. They also had more chemistry.
Wow, first of all I didn't expect the level of spice in this book. I was looking forward to a cutesy romance book but I'm not going to complain with the spice I was given by this book. Overall, I gave it a 3.5/5 rating mainly because of the writing style and plot. There were too many inconsistencies in the book that was just hard to ignore. There was one instance that Maura and Deidre's names were interchanged. That gave me whiplash if you can imagine lmao. The two stories and their plot were painfully similar that I feel like the author themself got confused while writing it at some point, that's why the names got mixed up. Heck, even the blurb contained the wrong name of the supposed hero in the first story. Tyrone Callahan was the one written in the story but it was Patrick Callahan in the blurb. The plot was repetitive, literally the flow of the first story is identical to the second one. It goes like this: Atleast I felt like the author tried to make up for it by creating different characters and dynamics in the relationships involved.
I rated A Christmas in Paradise 3.5/5 stars.
I didn't quite like Tyrone as much as I did Mitchell. There was this scene I honestly liked their friend Jason more than Tyrone. I hope he has a story.
I rated Maura's Christmas Secret 4/5 stars.
I liked Maura and Mitchell's story a bit more than the first one. Atleast Maura showed more depth even when it was by the end of the book. Plus Mitchell is a better man than Tyrone, personality-wise. He atleast comes off with genuine feelings for Maura right at the very start. They also had more chemistry.
November 1, 2017
With a deathbed promise, A Stockingful of Joy wasn’t going to be very joyful this year. Deidre made a deathbed promise to her father. That she will complete the assignment that earlier killed her dad’s business partner and now him. But where they failed, Deirdre and her cousin, Maura was praying to succeed. With a strategy in place, the two set off in opposite directions but with one common goal.
What was nice about A Stockingful of Joy was that we had the pleasure of getting two stories bundled into one book. Going by the synopsis you know it wasn’t the where that was the bases of these stories, but the How. How were these two lone women going to make it to Paradise, Montana? How were they going to overcome the obstacles along the way…Remember, the killers were still out there, and even if they did make it to Paradise, what was waiting for them at the end of the journey?
The first story, A Christmas in Paradise, has Deidre traveling by train and tackling obstinate gunmen, who will do anything to keep Deidre from reaching Montana. In the second story, Handful of Heaven you have the same story but a different take on the first story. However, If I had to pick my favorite out of the two, it would be the second title A Handful of Heaven. I liked both books, but I could relate to the cousin more. You have a shy person, to keep a deathbed, promise she had to step out of her comfort zone and to overcome memories of her past.
Even though the title depicts that these are Christmas romances I didn’t really get the holiday vibe from these stories.
Even though these stories were first published in 1999 under a different title, I take what I can get, plus this book was new to me. A Stockingful of Joy was certainly different than her normal fair of Historical romance. Will I recommend this book…? sure! It will take the boredom out of another long and stress filled day.
What was nice about A Stockingful of Joy was that we had the pleasure of getting two stories bundled into one book. Going by the synopsis you know it wasn’t the where that was the bases of these stories, but the How. How were these two lone women going to make it to Paradise, Montana? How were they going to overcome the obstacles along the way…Remember, the killers were still out there, and even if they did make it to Paradise, what was waiting for them at the end of the journey?
The first story, A Christmas in Paradise, has Deidre traveling by train and tackling obstinate gunmen, who will do anything to keep Deidre from reaching Montana. In the second story, Handful of Heaven you have the same story but a different take on the first story. However, If I had to pick my favorite out of the two, it would be the second title A Handful of Heaven. I liked both books, but I could relate to the cousin more. You have a shy person, to keep a deathbed, promise she had to step out of her comfort zone and to overcome memories of her past.
Even though the title depicts that these are Christmas romances I didn’t really get the holiday vibe from these stories.
Even though these stories were first published in 1999 under a different title, I take what I can get, plus this book was new to me. A Stockingful of Joy was certainly different than her normal fair of Historical romance. Will I recommend this book…? sure! It will take the boredom out of another long and stress filled day.
September 23, 2017
I received this book from net galley for an honest review. Thank you!!
This Christmas novel was a nice read. The author takes two stories and wraps them together, even though each is told separately. It is the journey, not the destination that makes people see who others truly are. This brings the possibly of love during the holidays, even though the journey is dangerous.
Deidre and Maura Kenney are cousins who promised to fulfill to Deidre's dying father the return of the deed to the Callahan family in Paradise, Montana. The Martins family sent out men that killed Deidre's father and now hunt the Kenney women who have the deed. Deidre and Maura agree to split up to try and force the men after them to follow one more so over the other. What either of them planned on was the Callahan men who would steal their hearts.
Tyrone and Mitchell Callahan are brothers who are worried that the deed proving their family's holdings has not yet arrived. If the deed is not received before the new year, they will lose their land and home. They set out to travel to St.Louis, Missouri to get the deed. Each brother takes a different path, which lands them in the paths of Deidre and Maura.
All the characters have their own trials and insecurities they need to overcome. The path each pair travels is a dangerous journey, involving kidnappings and shootings and other obstacles they must overcome to each Paradise in time for Christmas. As each pair travels together, they realize they need the other person, not just for the journey, but for a lifetime. Will they all make it to Paradise in time? Will Deidre and Maura return to St. Louis after their promise is fulfilled or can Mitchell and Tyrone convince them to stay forever?
This Christmas novel was a nice read. The author takes two stories and wraps them together, even though each is told separately. It is the journey, not the destination that makes people see who others truly are. This brings the possibly of love during the holidays, even though the journey is dangerous.
Deidre and Maura Kenney are cousins who promised to fulfill to Deidre's dying father the return of the deed to the Callahan family in Paradise, Montana. The Martins family sent out men that killed Deidre's father and now hunt the Kenney women who have the deed. Deidre and Maura agree to split up to try and force the men after them to follow one more so over the other. What either of them planned on was the Callahan men who would steal their hearts.
Tyrone and Mitchell Callahan are brothers who are worried that the deed proving their family's holdings has not yet arrived. If the deed is not received before the new year, they will lose their land and home. They set out to travel to St.Louis, Missouri to get the deed. Each brother takes a different path, which lands them in the paths of Deidre and Maura.
All the characters have their own trials and insecurities they need to overcome. The path each pair travels is a dangerous journey, involving kidnappings and shootings and other obstacles they must overcome to each Paradise in time for Christmas. As each pair travels together, they realize they need the other person, not just for the journey, but for a lifetime. Will they all make it to Paradise in time? Will Deidre and Maura return to St. Louis after their promise is fulfilled or can Mitchell and Tyrone convince them to stay forever?
October 28, 2017
Deidre and Maura Kenney are cousins who promised to fulfill to Deidre's dying father wish to return the deed to the Callahan family in Paradise, Montana. The men sent to kill Deidre’s father are now hunting the Kenney woman who have the deed. The women split up to try and force the men to follow one of them more than the other in hopes they can deliver the deed safely. What they don’t expect is the Callahan men. Tyrone and Mitchell Callahan are needing the deed top prove their family holding or they could lose everything. They each take a different road to St. Louis where Tyrone encounters Deidre and Mitchell meets Maura.
Maura’s Christmas Secret is the story of Maura and Mitchell
Maura is risking her life for her cousin willingly trying to distract the killers by her carrying forged documents to allow Deidre time to deliver the authentic copies to their rightful owner. Along comes Mitchell Callahan and Maura feels safer already. She has someone to share the burden and hopeful achieve their common goal” getting the authentic copies to his family before it’s too late.
A Christmas in Paradise is Deidre and Tyrone’s story.
Deidre is trying to fulfill her dying father’s wish and take important documents to the Callahan family. She and Maura have split up and taken different routes to paradise Montana in an attempt to stop the document from falling into the wrong hands. Tyrone by chance encounter Deidre and from the start they are sexually attracted to each other. Tyrone is quite the womanizer and Deidre’s doesn’t want to be his mistress, but thing change when Deidre gets captured and Tyrone has to rescue her.
This is my honest opinions after I voluntarily read a copy of this book that was provided to me with no requirements for a review.
Maura’s Christmas Secret is the story of Maura and Mitchell
Maura is risking her life for her cousin willingly trying to distract the killers by her carrying forged documents to allow Deidre time to deliver the authentic copies to their rightful owner. Along comes Mitchell Callahan and Maura feels safer already. She has someone to share the burden and hopeful achieve their common goal” getting the authentic copies to his family before it’s too late.
A Christmas in Paradise is Deidre and Tyrone’s story.
Deidre is trying to fulfill her dying father’s wish and take important documents to the Callahan family. She and Maura have split up and taken different routes to paradise Montana in an attempt to stop the document from falling into the wrong hands. Tyrone by chance encounter Deidre and from the start they are sexually attracted to each other. Tyrone is quite the womanizer and Deidre’s doesn’t want to be his mistress, but thing change when Deidre gets captured and Tyrone has to rescue her.
This is my honest opinions after I voluntarily read a copy of this book that was provided to me with no requirements for a review.
October 21, 2017
This was my first time reading Hannah Howell and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It actually contains two stories, each following one of the cousins determined to fulfill a deathbed promise to deliver some papers to the Callahan's in Montana.
Both stories had a fun style of riding with lots of action going on. There is never a dull moment and I loved both the strong heroines make their way across the country with the help of the Callahan brothers. I think I enjoyed Deidre's story a tad more and I really enjoyed her character. She's very practical, smart and did a great job of holding her own against her enemies. I also really liked Patrick's character and loved seeing the two of them come together. Maura was also a fun heroine who has a lot of spunk but I think the fact that the men chasing her seemed more of bumbling oafs made her adventure less enjoyable. I also found the conflict at the end that gets Mitch all worked up at Maura was blown out of proportion and was a hard to believe conflict.
Despite that I still highly recommend this heartwarming read to those looking for a great holiday, historical romance.
Both stories had a fun style of riding with lots of action going on. There is never a dull moment and I loved both the strong heroines make their way across the country with the help of the Callahan brothers. I think I enjoyed Deidre's story a tad more and I really enjoyed her character. She's very practical, smart and did a great job of holding her own against her enemies. I also really liked Patrick's character and loved seeing the two of them come together. Maura was also a fun heroine who has a lot of spunk but I think the fact that the men chasing her seemed more of bumbling oafs made her adventure less enjoyable. I also found the conflict at the end that gets Mitch all worked up at Maura was blown out of proportion and was a hard to believe conflict.
Despite that I still highly recommend this heartwarming read to those looking for a great holiday, historical romance.
November 4, 2017
This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.
This is a book with two stories about two cousins and two brothers who are determined to get a packet of documents to Paradise, Montana before their evil neighbors try to stop (kill) them.
In the first book, Diedra Kenney meets Tyrone Callahan while on her way to his ranch and deliver papers. Both Diedra and Maura have made a deathbed promise to Diedra's father when he was killed on a failed attempt to get the papers to the Callahan's. Tyrone never figured he would marry so he was blown away when he met Diedra.
The second book, Maura Kenney runs into trouble and is rescued by Mitchell Callahan. Both couples team up and work together to fight off thugs trying to kill them. Each book has a mix of romance, action, intrigue, and drama. Maura never wanted to fall in love after a troubled childhood so Mitchell had a battle on his hands to win her over.
Each couple had different struggles to survive and different struggles to get to their HEA, so it was a fun read and loved that it had a hint of Christmas added. Hope we will see a book for Jason and Stephen!
This is a book with two stories about two cousins and two brothers who are determined to get a packet of documents to Paradise, Montana before their evil neighbors try to stop (kill) them.
In the first book, Diedra Kenney meets Tyrone Callahan while on her way to his ranch and deliver papers. Both Diedra and Maura have made a deathbed promise to Diedra's father when he was killed on a failed attempt to get the papers to the Callahan's. Tyrone never figured he would marry so he was blown away when he met Diedra.
The second book, Maura Kenney runs into trouble and is rescued by Mitchell Callahan. Both couples team up and work together to fight off thugs trying to kill them. Each book has a mix of romance, action, intrigue, and drama. Maura never wanted to fall in love after a troubled childhood so Mitchell had a battle on his hands to win her over.
Each couple had different struggles to survive and different struggles to get to their HEA, so it was a fun read and loved that it had a hint of Christmas added. Hope we will see a book for Jason and Stephen!
November 21, 2019
To start with I found this duet externally dull. The characters had no truth depth, except maybe Maura at the very end of her book. So boring.
But then her book was nearly identical to the first book in this duet. Nearly scene for scene. Meet cute, rescues the heroine, team up, face bad guys, have sex, face more bad guys. They even stay in the exactly same cabin and visit the same friend along the way and both of those bits are nearly the same.
Not only were the stories relative of one another but within each story the thoughts and actions were. In the second book the heroine is reflecting on the past few days and she makes the same observations twice in less than a page.
Not to mention this has no Christmas feel to it. Christmas is mentions multiple times but only as a deadline. This is nothing to get one into the holiday spirit, that’s for sure.
I say skip it.
Edit: directly after writing this I went to read some other reviews of this author’s other books and found this sane dull, boring, slow theme to be consistent and promptly removed all of her books from my TBR list.
But then her book was nearly identical to the first book in this duet. Nearly scene for scene. Meet cute, rescues the heroine, team up, face bad guys, have sex, face more bad guys. They even stay in the exactly same cabin and visit the same friend along the way and both of those bits are nearly the same.
Not only were the stories relative of one another but within each story the thoughts and actions were. In the second book the heroine is reflecting on the past few days and she makes the same observations twice in less than a page.
Not to mention this has no Christmas feel to it. Christmas is mentions multiple times but only as a deadline. This is nothing to get one into the holiday spirit, that’s for sure.
I say skip it.
Edit: directly after writing this I went to read some other reviews of this author’s other books and found this sane dull, boring, slow theme to be consistent and promptly removed all of her books from my TBR list.
March 23, 2020
There are two stories that I would rate at 3 stars but because they are in the same book and are basically the exact same story, I'm giving it a 2.
Although all the main characters are likeable and the women particularly resilient and courageous, I find our two young women falling into bed with these albeit handsome men within days, a little much for the times. And does no one worry about illegitamite babies?
Eeryone is naturally good-looking. There's lots of sex. I would have preferred more story.
I personally thought the men's friend was the most interesting character and would like to read a story about him.
Although all the main characters are likeable and the women particularly resilient and courageous, I find our two young women falling into bed with these albeit handsome men within days, a little much for the times. And does no one worry about illegitamite babies?
Eeryone is naturally good-looking. There's lots of sex. I would have preferred more story.
I personally thought the men's friend was the most interesting character and would like to read a story about him.
October 25, 2017
Deidra and Maura are great. Both very independent and spirited women. As they are fulfilling Deidra's father's dying wish, they meet the men who can handle their spirit. They are to deliver some papers to Montana, so they take different routes in order to make sure that one of them will make it through. As they go on their journey, they are assaulted, shot at and kidnapped. The men come to their rescue, but they are holding their own in the meantime. A fun Christmas story.
November 2, 2017
Enjoy Christmas in the Wild West. Deidre made a death bed promise to her father to deliver some documents to Paradise, Montana, with the help of her cousins, she plans to do just that. Deidre and Maura each plan on taking a different route but both find plenty of adventure and so much more. This was an entertaining read with loads of drama and suspense. I loved the characters and the chemistry is steamy. A fun read!
October 31, 2019
The wild west got wilder in this book. This was about female cousins who vowed to finish the journey that one's father and partner started and were killed for. Each girl went west by a different route. Two brothers in search of the men they hired to bring them the paperwork proving the land was theirs. And how fate crossed each set of men to women in the harrowing journey. And the many attempts at ambushes by those not wanting them to succeed
October 16, 2017
Les histoires ont des trames similaires, et l’ensemble se laisse lire il ne va pas laisser un souvenir impérissable. Chaque couple comporte une personne qui refuse de s’engager presque jusqu’au bout. Et bien sûr la coïncidence que les cousines tombent chacune sur un des frères sur le trajet est un peu grosse même si expliquée par un des héros. Sans compter l’erreur de prénom dans le résumé, Patrick s’appelle en réalité Tyrone.
avis https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
avis https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
December 15, 2024
"A Stockingful of Joy" delivers exactly what its title promises – a heartwarming dose of holiday cheer wrapped in adventure and romance. Perfect for readers who enjoy their Christmas stories with a dash of Western flair and a healthy serving of romantic tension. The dual-story format provides extra value, offering two complete romantic adventures in one satisfying package.
September 26, 2017
A Stockingful of Joy contains two books about cousins who make a dangerous journey separately in the 1880's, written by author Hannah Howell. Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the advance copy.
March 17, 2018
A good read
A feisty tale of determination, love and the battle over greed. I enjoyed this book.
It's about two determined females set out to complete their father/uncle's deathbed request. This quest leads to danger and to love.
I have voluntarily posted a review consisting of my honest opinions
A feisty tale of determination, love and the battle over greed. I enjoyed this book.
It's about two determined females set out to complete their father/uncle's deathbed request. This quest leads to danger and to love.
I have voluntarily posted a review consisting of my honest opinions
June 19, 2020
Enjoy read Hannah Howell's books. This is two stories about Deirdre Kenny and Maura, her cousin fulfilling a death bed request of Deirdre's father which takes them in two separate directions to Paradise, Montana.
May 7, 2019
Great Story
Loved this book which had two stories. Couldn't put it down . I hope she writes one about Stephen and their friend who lives with his 3 aunts.
Loved this book which had two stories. Couldn't put it down . I hope she writes one about Stephen and their friend who lives with his 3 aunts.
July 7, 2019
It's a little sweet, but I liked the characters and story-line.
February 11, 2020
PB-loaner-Kim
Want to read
November 28, 2020This book is exquisite
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