A Winter's Romance: A Regency Anthology

by G.L. Robinson, Jayne Davis, Christina Dudley

A Regency romance anthology perfect for curing the wintertime blues. GL Robinson, Audrey Harrison, Penny Hampson, Judith Hale Everett, Christina Dudley, and Jayne Davis have collaborated to bring you six delightful short stories, which

Advice to Young Ladies, by Jayne Davis
An unexpected courtship between two people, both wary of fortune hunters, is threatened when the gentleman makes a disastrous discovery.

A Christmas Wish, by Penny Hampson
When a disfigured army officer inherits the guardianship of a young girl, he never dreams she would be in the charge of a charming and pretty teacher.

Epiphany Day, by Christina Dudley
Blindness and deception are no match for love, when a spinster schoolmistress is drawn into nursing an injured rogue.

The Viscount’s Christmas Runaway, by Audrey Harrison
A young lady’s flight from a horrific marriage proposal forces her to a life on the London streets, but the kindness of a stranger may lead her to a happily ever after.

A Worthy Alteration, by Judith Hale Everett
At a house party to woo a beauty, a carefree lord cannot comprehend why his thoughts are consumed by the plight of the drab little governess.

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, by GL Robinson
Obliged by an accident to spend Christmas in a reclusive family’s cottage, a man of the world finds himself increasingly taken by the unconventional manners of the lively daughter.

Genres: Romance, Short Stories, Anthologies, Christmas, Historical Romance, Regency, Fiction

450 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2024

About the author

My Regency novel The Earl and the Mud Covered Maiden is now free on multiple platforms:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08... (Amazon)
https://books2read.com/u/49vd2w (multiple platforms: Apple, Barnes & Noble, etc)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
GL Robinson is the godchild of Georgette Heyer. She writes Regency Romances in a very proper English style with a good dash of humor. As the product of a convent boarding school in the south of England in the 1950's and early 60's, she has a very proper English style herself, which you will be able to tell if you listen to the recordings of the first chapters of her novels on her website: https://romancenovelsbyglrobinson.com, where you can also sign up for a free short story.

She met her American husband in Brussels where she was working at the time the UK joined the European Union (or Common Market, as it was then called). After retiring from a career as a French professor in upstate New York, she happily swapped Existentialism for Romance and since 2018 has written 11 Regency novels. They all feature feisty heroines against a real historical background. She has also begun a contemporary crime trilogy featuring hunky ex-special forces Miles O'Malley. She's in love with him, but don't tell her husband!

Her Regency novels can all be found on:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WF2GV7S
and all her books on her Amazon page:
https://www.amazon.com/GL-Robinson/e/B08...

FOR A FREE SHORT STORY, or to listen to the first chapters of her novels, go to the website: https://romancenovelsbyglrobinson.com

Facebook: GL Robinson Author
Twitter: @gl_robinson
Instagram:@glrobinsonauthor
Tiktok @glrobinson1

Reviews

[Pauline Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charming - that’s the only word to describe this collection of short Regency romances by some of the best authors of the genre. I loved all of them, but if you held a gun to my head and forced me to choose a favourite, it would have to be A Worthy Alteration by Judith Hale Everett, if only because the delightful hero, Lord Windon, reminds me so much of one of my favourite Georgette Heyer heroes, Freddy Standen from Cotillion. But honestly, every story is a gem that made me smile in delight. Five stars.

Here’s a brief resume of the plots:

Advice to Young Ladies, by Jayne Davis: Kate Ardley and her younger sister Cecy are invited to a house party to meet marriageable heir Ben Paynton. Kate neither needs nor wants a suitable match and is quite happy to stand aside for her pretty but shy sister. Ben’s tired of being chased by marriage-minded mamas and daughters, but the plain-speaking Miss Ardley is more interesting. What can go wrong? Just the eponymous book of advice to young ladies, that’s all. A teeny tiny misunderstanding, speedily resolved in a lovely way.

A Christmas Wish, by Penny Hampson: Jane Mortimer is a long-suffering teacher at a girl’s school in Bath. Colonel Nicholas Anstruther is a retired army officer, not exactly in tip-top condition, who has been given guardianship of a young girl by a fellow soldier who died. When he meets a pretty and intriguing young woman who’s not bothered by his missing eye, he’s delighted when he finds that she’s actually his new ward’s teacher.

A Worthy Alteration, by Judith Hale Everett: Peter, Viscount Windon, is attempting to reach a house party in pursuit of the latest in a long line of desirably pretty females. Stopping at an inn to ask for directions, he’s distracted by a delectably beautiful female in distress and gallantly offers to help her. She turns out to be Prudence Stowe, a cousin to Honoria Tyndall, the original delectable female, and once home, she morphs into a drably dressed governess. Lord Windon is intrigued enough to find excuses to seek her out.

The Viscount’s Christmas Runaway, by Audrey Harrison: Louisa (do we ever hear her family name? Not sure) is living on the streets of London, eking out a miserable existence with two other reluctant gutter rats, Rosie and Billy. But one day, astonishingly, a well-dressed stranger appears who takes all three under his wing. He and his wife take them into their home, and not only feed and clothe them, but also attempt to educate them, as far as that’s possible. Gradually Louisa learns to trust again and reveal her story, while finding herself drawn to the son of her benefactors.

Epiphany Day, by Christina Dudley: Eliza Blinker is a school teacher forced to spend Christmas as companion to an old friend. While there, a participant in the local hunt is injured and brought to the house to recover, and Eliza helps to nurse him. Because his eyes are injured, he’s blindfolded and unable to see her, but he can hear her voice and realises she’s not quite the middle-aged spinster she claims to be, as protection against his roguish reputation.

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, by GL Robinson: Hero James crashes his phaeton on ice on Christmas Eve and is forced to seek shelter at the cottage of Elisabeth Wilberforce and her father. Their life is the very antithesis of his own pampered existence, but as he sheds his aristocratic pomposity, he learns to enjoy the simple life, and appreciate the down-to-earth open-heartedness of Elisabeth.

[Christina Dudley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm proud to have contributed to this delightful collection of wintry, holiday-y Regency short stories. Just the perfect accompaniment to a cup of hot cocoa and a cozy blanket.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this anthology. There is no steam so if you’re looking for something titillating, this isn’t it. But if you’re looking for some really well written stories that engage and bring joy you’re in the right place. I have read everything I can find from Judith Everett and Jayne Davis and loved Cristina Dudley’s modern Pride and Preston Lin but it’s my first time reading a regency of hers. The other three authors are new to me and I’m so glad to have found them. More names to put on my need to read list.

“Advice to Young Ladies” is well written and interesting and the miscommunications did not seem contrived and were easily resolved through communication, which is nice. I love when authors like Jayne Davis rely on character development rather than contrivances to flesh things out and move the plot along. I could see this becoming a series quite easily and would be interested in following the stories of some of the minor characters.

“A Christmas Wish” is love at first sight, which I’ve always struggled with, especially when followed by a very short courtship. I know it is hard to reasonably develop a relationship in a short story, but I would have liked to see more. However the well-written plot was great with characters I loved and good dialogue. I will definitely look for more from Penny Hampson.

“A Worthy Alteration” is a masterful portrayal of the ins and outs of infatuation on the road to love. Judith Everett does an excellent job of bringing her characters to life as you watch them grow and evolve through dialogue and inference rather than direct description most of the time. Lord Windon’s slippery memory in the first several pages is wonderfully done. Watching this unlikely hero find real love is a pleasure.

Lovely phrases like “she had done her sighing in advance” and “I claim only the usual allotment of courage, nothing remarkable” along with additional marvelous dialogue make “Epiphany Day” a delight. Christina Dudley’s skillful writing has managed to move easily from her more modern day stories into the Regency way of life. I can’t wait to read more.

“The Viscount’s Christmas Runaway” dives right in and smoothly fills in the back story as the adventure progresses. I really loved the premise, and think Audrey Harrison has good potential to make this a longer story someday. Rosie‘s behavior which moved the story towards its climax seemed a little out of character, but given the shortness of the story and lack of time for a different way to reach the resolution I thought it was well done.

“Twas the Night Before Christmas” is another love at first sight with no courtship at all but fun characters and good descriptions. This is another one that makes me want to read a longer book because I think GL Robinson would make it fun to read.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Advice to Young Ladies, by Jayne Davis: A solid three stars. Very sweet, with likable MCs and no OP drama.
A Christmas Wish, by Penny Hampson: Two and a half stars. Perfectly fine development for a novella, but I don't really like instalove stories.
A Worthy Alteration, by Judith Hale Everett: Three stars. Funny and adorable hero, with a downtrodden but cheerful heroine. I really liked how the author made the heroine's cousin a lovely person.
The Viscount's Christmas Runaway, by Audrey Harrison: 1.5 stars. I don't really enjoy Audrey Harrison's writing style, so it's a me thing.
Epiphany Day, by Christina Dudley: Three stars. Very sweet! There was enough of interesting this one for a full length work.
'Twas the Night Before Christmas, by GL Robison: two and a half stars. Solidly written and sweet but too instalove for me.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice anthology, some really nice stories that aren't all lords and ladies.

[Christin · Rating 3 out of 5]

4+ stars for the last 2!

First few stories were a mixed bag. But the Christina Dudley and GL Robinson short stories were excellent! Somehow they didn’t have to fall back on the info dump but still gave a full story. Enjoyable.

[Elizabeth S · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 - Advice to Young Ladies by Jayne Davis – she sees no need for marriage, but was given a book with advice for finding a husband; he really is uninterested in a wife but his mother has several candidates for a house party; unknowingly she follow the “advice” in the book by showing interest in his pursuits, listening, and tripping; he finds the book and assumes the worst, she assumes he has been taunting her; the final resolution is not cheesy, despite the obvious set up
4 - A Christmas Wish by Penny Hampson – she is a teacher and the schoolmistress thinks she spends too much time with the charity students; he just found out he was made guardian for his friend’s orphaned daughter, who is one of aforementioned charity students; she is supposed to talk him into leaving his ward at the school; he decides to court her while supposedly taking time to decide
4 - A Worthy Alteration by Judith Hale Everett – he has always been interested in women with great beauty and goes to a house party to woo such a one, she is the mistreated governess and family charity case, he gradually finds himself putting effort into making other people happy, especially the governess; strangely, the governess is described as extremely beautiful, yet supposedly he dismisses her because of drab appearance, wouldn’t it make more sense for her to not be gorgeous? Other than that head-scratcher, wonderful story with fun characters
2 - The Viscount’s Christmas Runaway by Audrey Harrison – this is a weird one; she is on the streets, having been adopted by a poor teen and a street-rat, strange elderly gentleman & lady “adopt” all three, he is the dissolute son in the family and worries about her taking his parents for a ride, yet he is a wastral, there is some sub-plot about a sister in the family who disappeared; I don’t know why these two would fall in love, he is written as both a misunderstood rebel and a young man devoted to his parents; the whole thing of a young woman living on the streets and then a middle aged couple suddenly installing her as their foster daughter just isn’t believable
5 - Epiphany Day by Christina Dudley – she is a school teacher, “on the shelf”, visiting for the holiday; he was just around for the local foxhunt, missed a jump, and must stay at the house with broken bones and a major bonk on the head that might have taken his eyesight; he is rather irascible, especially with his eyes bandaged so he can’t see; even though he has a poor reputation, she helps tend him sometimes and to protect her the lady of the house claims she is much older; the part I like the best is that he falls in love and proposes while honestly thinking she is plain, large, and older than he is
4 - ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas by GL Robinson – his phaeton breaks in the country and the nearest house is where she and her father live alone; he and his tiger must stay a few days while his wheel is fixed and he realizes he is spoiled and can’t do anything for himself; she is a positive, cheerful soul and soothes his uptight perspective; a lady he briefly almost-courted happens to be at church and pulls a full-court press for his attention, revealing that he is an earl

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an entertaining collection of stories by some well loved authors but also some that were new to me. They are all sweet romances but I did feel that some would have benefited from an epilogue.

[MissKitty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Six short stories by different authors, all clean reads.

Advice to Young Ladiez - Jayne Davis 3.5. ⭐️Very Cute, the H is a wealthy lord and wary of fortune hunters. The heroine joins his house party with a bunch of young ladies, but it is her sister that her mother wants to match with the Hero. However, he and the heroine get along quite well, until he finds a book and thinks she is also one of those fortune hunting females. He doesnt know she is also an heiress and wary of fortune hunters herself.

A Christmas Wish - Penny Hampson 3.5. ⭐️The heroine is a teacher. One of her pupils is an orphan and she and her pretty teacher find love and a new family with her guardian, a soldier home from the war. This was so heartwarming ☺️❤️

A Worthy Alteration - Judith Hale Everett 2⭐️ I guess this was supposed to be amusing but came out silly. The Hero is a stupid, flighty dandy, attracted to every next pretty girl he sees. He is actually pursuing one when he encounters the heroine, who is now working as a governess. He doesnt even recognize her from a year previously when he met her at a ball. She has since become impoverished and her evil aunt wants her to dress as a dowd to prevent her from attracting potential husbands. Thankfully her cousin is kind to her and it works out for her in the end, but i cant help thinking that her husband will be sniffing around other pretty girls in the future.

The Viscount’s Christmas Runaway - Audrey Harrison 2⭐️ this one was just too unbelievable. The heroine’s parents wanted her to marry an old rich man, so she runs away to London and almost gets raped and is starving. She is befriended by 2 urchins who protect her and teach her how to survive on the streets. Unbelievably, she is rescued by a kind older couple who just know she was born a lady. They take them all in and care for the heroine and her street friends. The Hero, their son, is suspicious but it all works out in the end. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Epiphany Day - Christina Dudley. 3.5⭐️ This one is okay only because CD is a good writer. The heroine nurses the Hero who is temporarily blinded because of an accident. Ive read this trope before, and unfortunately, this time, it was not developed enough to believe that the Hero and heroine fell in love. It was too rushed and they hardly had alone time together to have a true meeting of minds.

Twas the night before Christmas- G.L. Robinson 3⭐️ Another one that was rushed. The Hero and heroine basically fell in love in one day. The Hero’s phaeton has a breakdown and he needs to shelter at the cottage of the heroine and her father. Its Christmas time so he has to help gather mistletoe and holly and he goes to Mass with them, where he sees one of his London flirts whom he has been avoiding. He is now in love w the heroine, but the flirt spills the beans that he is an Earl. The heroine is mad for 2 seconds, then she is okay w this, so they have their happy ever after.

[Katharine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Winter's Romance is the first time I have understood why people will rate/review individual stories in a book instead of the book overall. This particular collection consists of 6 winter-themed novellas of vastly different enjoyment levels (for me, at least).

Novellas 1 (Advice to Young Ladies) and 2 (A Christmas Wish) were both very cute but with rushed endings and I think would have benefited greatly from approximately 10 more pages.

All readers should just skip novella 3 (A Worthy Alteration) unless a vain, shallow and dumb-as-a-post hero is your thing The heroine even has to talk herself into being excited by his proposal at the end. Out loud. In front of him.. Plus, I am pretty sure lords did not ever actually use the word "ain't" regularly in everyday conversation.

Novella 4 (The Viscount's Christmas Runaway) gets style points for trying to be different, but also feels very awkward and odd because of this attempt.

Novellas 5 (Epiphany Day) and 6 ('Twas the Night Before Christmas) are both delightful and were by far my favorites in the book.

So: 4-4-1-3-5-5

Only novella 6 was Christmas-y, in case people were looking at this anthology for a holiday romp.

[Rebekah Wanke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charming, lovely, delightful!
This is quite possibly the most enjoyable collection of stories I have ever read! Already familiar with a couple of the authors, I found a few new ones of whose works I now want to obtain more.

Advice to Young Ladies by Jayne Davis
A sweet and lovely story: pure delight!

A Christmas Wish by Penny Hampson
Exciting,fun, such a lovely, lovely story!

Epiphany Day by Christina Dudley
Absolutely delightful! So romantic!

The Viscount’s Christmas Runaway by Audrey Harrison
Charming! Love lines such as, “his eyes dismissed the commands from his brain and continued to take their fill of her.”

A Worthy Alteration by Judith Hale Everett
A different sort of hero. Love the writing!Reminds me of Baroness Orczy’s fun writing and characters!

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas by GL Robinson
Lovely! I love the authors use of language! Lines such as, “there was an armchair whose stuffing was showing an inclination to bolt for freedom” are priceless and I absolutely love the ending line!

[Cindy Topp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Indulge in this clever and sparkling anthology of Regency seasonal delight, perfect for reading next to a crackling fire with your favorite cup of tea close at hand. Contributing authors (Judith Hale Everett, Jayne Davis, Penny Hampson, Christina Dudley, Audrey Harrison and GL Robinson, one of my all-time favorite authors – all the stories are magnificent, though, so really no need to choose) offer heart-warming, sweet and clean stories to make one want to dreamily sigh with pleasure each time when coming to the HEA, only to realize that one had been holding one`s breath in anticipation the entire time. It makes a delightful holiday gift for any romantic, to be enjoyed even long after the festivities are over.
Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy for free, and am leaving a review voluntarily.

[Blessing Debel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartwarming, Charming, and Utterly Uplifting!

“A Christmas Wish” by Penny Hampson was exactly the cozy Regency romance I needed. The story of a disfigured army officer unexpectedly inheriting guardianship of a spirited young girl and meeting her kind, resilient teacher, pulled me in from the very first page.

Penny has a wonderful way of weaving heartfelt emotions with historical charm. I adored how both characters grew beyond their fears and found healing in each other. It’s tender, hopeful, and full of that magical warmth you want in a holiday romance.

I found myself smiling through most of the story and even lingering over the last page. I just didn’t want to leave these characters behind.

If you’re looking for a short Regency tale that blends romance, healing, and just the right dash of Christmas cheer, A Christmas Wish is a must-read.

[Corinne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've enjoyed the writing of four of the authors and was delighted to learn of this collection. I wasn't disappointed! All of the stories are entertaining reads.
Audrey Harrison's story felt a bit like a fairy tale to me with a titled couple saving three young people from the streets; the other stories are more like traditional Regency romance.
Advice to Young Ladies gives the couple the most time to develop their affection, only for it to be threatened by incorrect assumption, fortunately quickly corrected.
Only in A Worthy Alteration do the two main characters have a previous acquaintance, having shared a dance in the previous Season. Lord Windon seems a bit flighty at first, but develops into a worthy hero.
I read a free advance copy; the thoughts expressed are my own.

[Brooke Law · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming and delightful short stories. I liked that they were shorter so I could sit down and finish a story in one sitting. It’s hard for me to find time to read these days with kids, so I appreciated that. The downside to them being short is there isn’t a lot of time for character development. The shorter stories also didn’t leave much room for plot twists- they were all pretty predictable. None the less, I found myself looking forward to reading them. They were entertaining and enjoyable. I appreciated the variety of stories. They were a fun, light read all with happy endings. They are clean romance stories so a great choice for young adults or anyone who just want to end the day with a fun read!

[Cathy R Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful collection of short-ish reads that are sure to leave you in a better mood than you started! Great for helping you get into the Christmas spirit (though not directly Christmassy), getting into the swing of winter, or just enjoying a heart-warming escape from life at any season of the year. I was trying to pick a favourite, but realised I'd enjoyed them all so much I couldn't! I typically prefer longer books, but these really hit the spot - though each is relatively short, they're well paced and feel complete and satisfying. I've enjoyed books by several of these authors before, but a couple were new to me, so I'll have to go and see what else they've written. All in all, a great collection and I'm hoping this will become a seasonal thing! Recommended.

Note that I received a complimentary copy of the book from the authors. I was not required to write a positive review and this is my considered opinion of the book.

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved these stories. I was familiar with Audrey Harrison, but the other authors were new to me. They were my favorite kind of Regency romance, romantic, but not steamy. I liked the theme of Christmas that ran through some of them and I intend to keep the book on my Kindle. Usually I delete books after I read them, so that's a great compliment to the authors. If I had to pick a favorite, it might be "A Christmas Wish" by Penny Hampson. I loved reading about Meg wishing for a home, and Lt. Col. Anstruther showing up to be her guardian. He was determined to be the best guardian he could be, even after finding a surprise ward after the death of his friend. It also reminded me a bit of "A Little Princess". I love that book.

[Zena · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Refreshing Delight!
(My review for 'Twas the Night Before Christmas by G L Robinson which is part of the collection of stories in A Winter's Romance.)
This was a quick and very easy read in which the words simply flowed from one scene to the next, making a perfect break from all my mundane tasks and leaving me feeling refreshed and ready to go on.
It is a light romance and a happyone too, taking place just before Christmas and it also has a most desired ending.
I am pretty sure that the rest of these stories will be just as satisfying and intend reading them all in the very near future.
I have left my voluntary review above for this story, having just read an early copy of it.

[R Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an absorbing read. 6 stories by different authors, the common theme being they are all romances set around or approaching Christmas. All are worth reading but my favourites were those by Judith Everitt and Christina Dudley. Generally the characterisation is great and the stories hold your attention. Most have a point to make, often highlighting the differences in wealth and status in society. My small gripe is that I would have liked to see longer versions of the same especially when people fall into undying love within a day of seeing each other. A longer story would give the chance to eliminate that, but then it would not be short story anthology. C'est la vie

[Inés · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful collection of six short stories, all of them clean Regency romances set in winter (but not necessarily Christmas). Also, all of them share that the female protagonist is, for some reason, not expected to marry (she may be on the shelf, or a poor relation, or a teacher/governess...). In all cases the romance is quite quick (in some, almost instantaneous), but that's to be expected given the length of the stories.
Since it is a collection, some stories appeal more to me than others; I'd give 5 stars to some but not to all, and even the one I liked least was quite decent, hence the 4 star overall rating.

[Dorothy Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Advice to Young Ladies by Jayne Davis
2 ⭐️⭐️ Boring

A Christmas Wish by Penny Hampson
3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Cute

A Worthy Alteration by Judith Hale Everett
5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Adorable 🥰

The Viscount’s Christmas Runaway by Audrey Harrison
4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Very cute

Epiphany Day by Christina Dudley
4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Very well written and entertaining. Sweet ending.

Twas the Night Before Christmas by GL Robinson
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Very cute. The romance was rather fast, but the characters were so good I can overlook it.

[P H · Rating 5 out of 5]

very sweet Christmassy feel-good anthology

The stories were all short so on occasion, the journey from first meeting to love and marriage, was improbably swift!

Nevertheless in every story I was rooting for the participants.

Jayne Davis is a long time favourite and I enjoyed her story in particular - but was also pleased to discover authors who are new to me and looking forward to reading more of their work

[CMB · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Romance is subjective, and ratings systems are not conducive to that, but because writers depend on reviews, I rate as such:

Five stars and an extra ⭐️ for an exceptional book that blew me away in all ways.
Five stars for a well written book I loved
Four stars for a book I liked
Three stars for a good read

Writing is damn hard. Readers like what we like. Not all books are for everyone. Be kind.

[Max Paredes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each one of the stories is a speed dating delight. A satisfying romantic snack.

It's nice to sample each author and hear the different voices. Like a charcuterie board, I found I liked the flavor of the stories enough to search out more books by the authors.
Quick delightful reads.

Closed door romances

[Stephanie E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this set of six short romances! Each one can be read in one sitting, and the characters are delightful and full of depth. I felt like I was living the romance right along with the characters. One of these authors is a particular favorite of mine, and by reading this book, I have found five more that I can enjoy. I definitely recommend this book!

[Elizabeth S · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of six novelettes, showcasing cute, whirlwind romances that take place around Christmas. 'Epiphany Day', by Christina Dudley, is the shining star of the sextet. Her phrasing is so delicious, I often stopped to read paragraphs two or three more times, just to savor her writing skills. All of the stories were engaging and fun.

[Fiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas delight!

Such a lovely collection of Regency tales! Often in a collection of short stories there is at least a weak one, but I found all 6 fully enjoyable and good quality. Some of the authors I already know well, and I am glad to have some new Regency authors to explore further.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious, touching, and thoroughly Christmasy

This collection included some of my favorite authors and introduced some new ones. Each story was different, not relying on Regency tropes (except the broken carriage). Wonderful characters and situations. Delightful. Read and be soothed and happy.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I tried all of the stories in this, I didn’t finish them all since not all of them were to my taste. This four stars is for Christina Dudley’s story which was lovely as are all her stories. I also enjoyed GL Robinson‘s story at the end, even though it was a bit instalove for me I still thought it was fun.

[Nancy Baker-krofft · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witty and funny sometimes, delightful stories

,while not used to novella lengths, I enjoyed the different flavors of authors, and that I could start a new story almost every day. I guess drawing characters in a shorter time frame is a special art! It was a pleasure to have discovered this book quite by accident.