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Mistletoe Marriages: Rendezvous / The Wolf and the Lamb / Christmas in the Valley / Keeping Christmas
Rendevous by Elaine Barbieri
Two displaced Southerners come to realize that Christmas will never be right again until they are together forever.
The Wolf and the Lamb by Kathleen Eagle
As the Christmas season approaches, a spinster, her two stepdaughters and a Métis Indian scout discover they have become a family.
Christmas in the Valley by Margaret Moore
Married to a Welsh miner, Kitty Maude doesn't realize what it means to be married until the Christmas she decides to leave home.
Keeping Christmas by Patricia Gardner Evans
An itinerant seamstress brings the spirit of Christmas into the lives of a crusty rancher and two abandoned children.
Two displaced Southerners come to realize that Christmas will never be right again until they are together forever.
The Wolf and the Lamb by Kathleen Eagle
As the Christmas season approaches, a spinster, her two stepdaughters and a Métis Indian scout discover they have become a family.
Christmas in the Valley by Margaret Moore
Married to a Welsh miner, Kitty Maude doesn't realize what it means to be married until the Christmas she decides to leave home.
Keeping Christmas by Patricia Gardner Evans
An itinerant seamstress brings the spirit of Christmas into the lives of a crusty rancher and two abandoned children.
376 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 23, 1994
67 people want to read
About the author
Elaine Barbieri
59 books51 followersAKA Elaine Rome
Elaine Barbieri wrote over thirty historical novels that have been published worldwide. She was certain young adult readers would enjoy the excitement of historical romance if given a chance, and she welcomed the opportunity to write Miranda and the Warrior for this new audience. Elaine lived in northern New Jersey with her husband and family, and with Harrison, a demanding male who she is sure would be the ultimate hero -- if he weren't a cat.
Elaine Barbieri wrote over thirty historical novels that have been published worldwide. She was certain young adult readers would enjoy the excitement of historical romance if given a chance, and she welcomed the opportunity to write Miranda and the Warrior for this new audience. Elaine lived in northern New Jersey with her husband and family, and with Harrison, a demanding male who she is sure would be the ultimate hero -- if he weren't a cat.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 17, 2012
The first three short stories were alright but the best one, IMHO, was Keeping Christmas by Patricia Gardner Evans. Her story reminded me of reading a LaVyrle Spencer romance. I am going to look for more books by this author.
December 5, 2023
4 engaging novellas
My favorite by far was the 4th, Patricia Gardner Evans' Keeping Christmas. Loved former Major Gabriel's character development and the visceral feeling of love we experience developing between him, Karin, and the orphans Brian and Mary. Also felt the most Christmasy out of the lot. ❤️
The anthology includes:
Rendezvous by Elaine Barbieri
The Wolf and the Lamb by Kathleen Eagle
Christmas in the Valley by Margaret Moore
Keeping Christmas by Patricia Gardner Evans
Each author also includes a personal Christmas recipe.
My favorite by far was the 4th, Patricia Gardner Evans' Keeping Christmas. Loved former Major Gabriel's character development and the visceral feeling of love we experience developing between him, Karin, and the orphans Brian and Mary. Also felt the most Christmasy out of the lot. ❤️
The anthology includes:
Rendezvous by Elaine Barbieri
The Wolf and the Lamb by Kathleen Eagle
Christmas in the Valley by Margaret Moore
Keeping Christmas by Patricia Gardner Evans
Each author also includes a personal Christmas recipe.
January 13, 2020
Novellas are ever so slightly better than short stories, but I still find myself frustrated when I just start to get cozy with everything and the story ends. Three of the four of these were set in the West of the United States.. the fourth was set in a mining town in Wales. This incongruity was not too disturbing, and on the whole the stories were sweet Christmas treats.
June 14, 2019
This looked like a great way to try out some new authors. Keep in mind that some authors can move with ease between short stories and full novels, while others can't.
Rendezvous (Elaine Barbieri) I was particularly interested in reading this short tale because I've been seeing this author's name so much. Although the author clearly dated the piece in Wyoming Territory during 1871, I had to check back two or three times to make sure. Jayne seemed very modern (groping a man, etc.). Some of the behaviors of the other characters seemed too modern for the time.
This is an interesting plot that went fizzle. A young woman (Cricket) has been searching (for a year) for a childhood friend and almost dies in a blizzard. When Cricket finds Whittaker, he is engaged to be married. Cricket and Whittaker are transplanted Georgians (after the Civil War).
This story was the weakest of the bunch; readers know what is going to happen all along the road.
The Wolf and the Lamb (Kathleen Eagle) This is a treasure. Most books about Christmas beat the reader over the head with the season, traditions and the message. This was extremely subtle ... and most enjoyable. I loved this story.
Emily Lambert, 30-ish, is on her way to meet the stranger she has married by proxy. Wolf, a Metis Indian, helps her find the farm when no one comes for her at the stagecoach station.
What Emily finds there shatters her dreams; with no real choice, she starts on an odyssey.
Christmas in the Valley (Margaret Moore) The most beautiful woman in the valley (Kitty Maude) marries a Welsh miner (Gareth Williams) on one condition: He must give up the mine work.
It is a year after their marriage and Gareth still works in the dangerous mines. Kitty Maude tells Gareth that she is leaving him. Just as the train arrives, there is a blast from the mine -- men are left down below.
This is a tension-filled story, but it is unbelievable that a woman would be allowed to go into the mine and dig for her husband.
Keeping Christmas (Patricia Gardner Evans) This is the second winner in the bunch. A seamstress, Karin, who travels from farm-to-farm, sewing clothes for families that need her skills, arrives at a farm with a hostile rancher and two children from the Orphan Train. This is a beautifully-told story.
Rendezvous (Elaine Barbieri) I was particularly interested in reading this short tale because I've been seeing this author's name so much. Although the author clearly dated the piece in Wyoming Territory during 1871, I had to check back two or three times to make sure. Jayne seemed very modern (groping a man, etc.). Some of the behaviors of the other characters seemed too modern for the time.
This is an interesting plot that went fizzle. A young woman (Cricket) has been searching (for a year) for a childhood friend and almost dies in a blizzard. When Cricket finds Whittaker, he is engaged to be married. Cricket and Whittaker are transplanted Georgians (after the Civil War).
This story was the weakest of the bunch; readers know what is going to happen all along the road.
The Wolf and the Lamb (Kathleen Eagle) This is a treasure. Most books about Christmas beat the reader over the head with the season, traditions and the message. This was extremely subtle ... and most enjoyable. I loved this story.
Emily Lambert, 30-ish, is on her way to meet the stranger she has married by proxy. Wolf, a Metis Indian, helps her find the farm when no one comes for her at the stagecoach station.
What Emily finds there shatters her dreams; with no real choice, she starts on an odyssey.
Christmas in the Valley (Margaret Moore) The most beautiful woman in the valley (Kitty Maude) marries a Welsh miner (Gareth Williams) on one condition: He must give up the mine work.
It is a year after their marriage and Gareth still works in the dangerous mines. Kitty Maude tells Gareth that she is leaving him. Just as the train arrives, there is a blast from the mine -- men are left down below.
This is a tension-filled story, but it is unbelievable that a woman would be allowed to go into the mine and dig for her husband.
Keeping Christmas (Patricia Gardner Evans) This is the second winner in the bunch. A seamstress, Karin, who travels from farm-to-farm, sewing clothes for families that need her skills, arrives at a farm with a hostile rancher and two children from the Orphan Train. This is a beautifully-told story.
February 9, 2014
Four holiday stories relate the experiences of two displaced Southerners who realize they are in love, a family discovery, a miner's wife who decides to leave home, and a seamstress who brings the spirit of Christmas to a lonely family.
There nothing spectacular here, but neither is there anything wrong with the stories, which are fast reads and will help one get in the mood for the holidays.
There nothing spectacular here, but neither is there anything wrong with the stories, which are fast reads and will help one get in the mood for the holidays.
December 13, 2010
The last two stories I can swear I've read before. The last story was my favorite.
June 6, 2011
The first story was a 5+++++ star read for me but it kept going downhill with the following stories. By the last story I was just skimming it..
December 14, 2013
Pleasant volume of historical Christmas romances.
January 15, 2017
Short and sweet
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews