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Mistletoe Kisses: A Soldier's Tale / A Winter Night's Tale / A Twelfth Night Tale
A Soldier's Tale by Elizabeth Rolls
Dominic, Viscount Alderley's family are looking to him to marry an heiress, but only his downtrodden, compassionate cousin Pippa seems able to ignore his scars....
A Winter Night's Tale by Deborah Hale
This year's festivities for Christabel and her young son will be sparse and cold--or so she thinks. When the man she'd loved and lost returns, offering her warmth, comfort and a true family Christmas, she can't resist!
A Twelfth Night Tale by Diane Gaston
One impulsive night of love changed Elizabeth's life forever. Now, ten years later, Elizabeth and Zachary meet again. Will their second Twelfth Night together see their happiness reborn?
Dominic, Viscount Alderley's family are looking to him to marry an heiress, but only his downtrodden, compassionate cousin Pippa seems able to ignore his scars....
A Winter Night's Tale by Deborah Hale
This year's festivities for Christabel and her young son will be sparse and cold--or so she thinks. When the man she'd loved and lost returns, offering her warmth, comfort and a true family Christmas, she can't resist!
A Twelfth Night Tale by Diane Gaston
One impulsive night of love changed Elizabeth's life forever. Now, ten years later, Elizabeth and Zachary meet again. Will their second Twelfth Night together see their happiness reborn?
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 1, 2006
1 person is currently reading
157 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Rolls
100 books123 followersWe live in the Adelaide Hills of South Australia, in a beautiful lush valley full of apple, pear and cherry orchards. We moved here a couple of years back, escaping from the city and it’s just gorgeous. The property is small, only five acres, but we have room for two small noisy boys, three dogs, two cats and several woolly things masquerading a environmentally friendly lawnmowers. Before that we lived in Melbourne, which was fun, but we always wanted to live in the country and now we do.
I’ve been married to an ex-nuclear physicist – don’t ask! for the last 17 years and we have two rowdy little boys, commonly described as “feral”. Most of our friends think we have far too many animals, and everyone knows we have far too many books.I grew up moving around a fair bit. Dad was in the army and every few years we had to up sticks and move on. I was born in England, expelled from kindergarten in Melbourne, started school in Papua New Guinea and finished school in Melbourne. After taking a degree in Music Education I taught music for several years while my husband finished his Ph.D.
How I started writing
I had the writing bug from a very early age. From the time I could read I loved writing stories. Throughout my school days I was nearly always writing something very quietly, and there were several teachers who encouraged me. One student teacher, whose name I have totally forgotten, when I was in sixth grade, as well as a couple of high school English teachers, Mrs Redman and Mrs Mackay.
I started writing my first book after I finished my Masters degree. For one thing I really, really missed my thesis. I’d enjoyed researching it, and I loved writing it. So it seems inevitable now that when I was looking for something to do in the evenings to unwind after work, I started writing again.
I’d been staying with an old school friend. Meg is a fellow Georgette Heyer fan, and she had a very large collection of Regencies on her bookshelves. Well, that was an eye-opener. I’d had no idea anyone else apart from Heyer had actually written them. By the time I went home I had an idea floating around in my brain and I sat down and roughed out some sort of chapter plan. Then I started typing. Six months later I had a story with a beginning a middle and an end which I sent to Meg. After a great deal of talking, she persuaded me to send it off to Harlequin Mills & Boon. After doing the rounds of all three editorial offices and undergoing a major rewrite and extension while I was about seven months pregnant with the second small noisy boy, it was accepted for publication and published as The Unexpected Bride.
Most of my writing friends have threatened to lynch me over that story at one time or another. Personally I envy them for having learnt an enormous amount about writing and the industry before acquiring an editor who understandably expects you to know what you are doing.
I’ve been married to an ex-nuclear physicist – don’t ask! for the last 17 years and we have two rowdy little boys, commonly described as “feral”. Most of our friends think we have far too many animals, and everyone knows we have far too many books.I grew up moving around a fair bit. Dad was in the army and every few years we had to up sticks and move on. I was born in England, expelled from kindergarten in Melbourne, started school in Papua New Guinea and finished school in Melbourne. After taking a degree in Music Education I taught music for several years while my husband finished his Ph.D.
How I started writing
I had the writing bug from a very early age. From the time I could read I loved writing stories. Throughout my school days I was nearly always writing something very quietly, and there were several teachers who encouraged me. One student teacher, whose name I have totally forgotten, when I was in sixth grade, as well as a couple of high school English teachers, Mrs Redman and Mrs Mackay.
I started writing my first book after I finished my Masters degree. For one thing I really, really missed my thesis. I’d enjoyed researching it, and I loved writing it. So it seems inevitable now that when I was looking for something to do in the evenings to unwind after work, I started writing again.
I’d been staying with an old school friend. Meg is a fellow Georgette Heyer fan, and she had a very large collection of Regencies on her bookshelves. Well, that was an eye-opener. I’d had no idea anyone else apart from Heyer had actually written them. By the time I went home I had an idea floating around in my brain and I sat down and roughed out some sort of chapter plan. Then I started typing. Six months later I had a story with a beginning a middle and an end which I sent to Meg. After a great deal of talking, she persuaded me to send it off to Harlequin Mills & Boon. After doing the rounds of all three editorial offices and undergoing a major rewrite and extension while I was about seven months pregnant with the second small noisy boy, it was accepted for publication and published as The Unexpected Bride.
Most of my writing friends have threatened to lynch me over that story at one time or another. Personally I envy them for having learnt an enormous amount about writing and the industry before acquiring an editor who understandably expects you to know what you are doing.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
December 23, 2024
This 2006 Harlequin historical anthology turned out to be a solid read. I'm not sure why I hadn't read it before now, but I'm glad I found it while I was doing some rearranging in the basement.
The first story, A Soldier's Tale by Elizabeth Rolls might feel a tad predictable, but it's the kind of predictability that makes for a pleasant comfort read. Dominic, Viscount Alderley, has returned from war and family plans for him to marry a wealthy heiress to restore the family coffers. However, Dominic was horribly wounded in the war, and the one kind, understanding person he encounters upon returning home is his cousin Pippa. Pippa may be the family poor relation, but Dominic has always liked her and now that they are both adults, he is realizing his liking has turned to something more.
The romance in this story has a gentle, fairytale quality to it. Given Dominic's injuries, there are some Beauty and the Beast references, which are both sensitively handled and make sense within the story. And of course, since this is a bit of a fairytale, we've got the horrid relatives and happy ending. This one is a sweet and pleasant, if not earth-shattering, read. Grade: B
A Winter Night's Tale by Deborah Hale was a lovely story. We learn early on in the story that Jonathan Frost and Christabel once loved each other, but Christabel jilted Jonathan in favor of marrying a dashing young officer. Years later, when Jonathan finds his way to Christabel's doorstep, she is now an impoverished widow with a young son, and she is very ill. Jonathan fears for her life and whisks her away to his estate to recover.
As the story unfolds, the author does a good job of showing how Christabel might be led to break her betrothal and yet neither she nor Jonathan were villains in that scenario. She also answers all the questions of how Christabel ended up in such dire straits, why Jonathan never married, and so on without making those answers feel overly contrived. The scenes at Jonathan's home are different from the average Regency romance, and yet there is a warmth suffusing the story that made me want to keep reading. It was obvious that both leads have faced some serious struggles in their lives, as Christabel found herself utterly alone in the world, while Jonathan has had to learn how to compassionately care for a beloved relative with dementia.
As someone who works with the elderly and disabled, some aspects of the storyline involving Jonathan's aunt didn't quite work for me. However, aside from that, I enjoyed this story very much. Grade:B+
A Twelfth Night Tale by Diane Gaston is the final story. I normally enjoy Ms. Gaston's writing quite a bit but this story felt a bit rushed and truncated. This one is a second chance at love story. After a youthful romance, Elizabeth and Zachary were separated as Zachary went off to war. Now, years later, Elizabeth is employed as a governess. Her young charge has been cast out by her parents so Elizabeth is travelling with her in search of safe haven with other family.
They are caught in a storm and end up seeking refuge at what Elizabeth remembered as the home of Zachary's uncle. However, unbeknownst to her, Zachary has inherited and he is in residence. This sets in motion an emotionally charged Christmas romance. I enjoyed the story at first and I wanted to see how this reunion would work out. However, the pacing in this tale felt very rushed and the various threads of plot tied up abruptly and way too neatly. Grade: B-
Sadly, while this anthology was once available as an eBook, it seems to have been taken down (at least on Amazon). Still, it's readily and cheaply available in hard copy from a number of used booksellers and worth tracking down.
The first story, A Soldier's Tale by Elizabeth Rolls might feel a tad predictable, but it's the kind of predictability that makes for a pleasant comfort read. Dominic, Viscount Alderley, has returned from war and family plans for him to marry a wealthy heiress to restore the family coffers. However, Dominic was horribly wounded in the war, and the one kind, understanding person he encounters upon returning home is his cousin Pippa. Pippa may be the family poor relation, but Dominic has always liked her and now that they are both adults, he is realizing his liking has turned to something more.
The romance in this story has a gentle, fairytale quality to it. Given Dominic's injuries, there are some Beauty and the Beast references, which are both sensitively handled and make sense within the story. And of course, since this is a bit of a fairytale, we've got the horrid relatives and happy ending. This one is a sweet and pleasant, if not earth-shattering, read. Grade: B
A Winter Night's Tale by Deborah Hale was a lovely story. We learn early on in the story that Jonathan Frost and Christabel once loved each other, but Christabel jilted Jonathan in favor of marrying a dashing young officer. Years later, when Jonathan finds his way to Christabel's doorstep, she is now an impoverished widow with a young son, and she is very ill. Jonathan fears for her life and whisks her away to his estate to recover.
As the story unfolds, the author does a good job of showing how Christabel might be led to break her betrothal and yet neither she nor Jonathan were villains in that scenario. She also answers all the questions of how Christabel ended up in such dire straits, why Jonathan never married, and so on without making those answers feel overly contrived. The scenes at Jonathan's home are different from the average Regency romance, and yet there is a warmth suffusing the story that made me want to keep reading. It was obvious that both leads have faced some serious struggles in their lives, as Christabel found herself utterly alone in the world, while Jonathan has had to learn how to compassionately care for a beloved relative with dementia.
As someone who works with the elderly and disabled, some aspects of the storyline involving Jonathan's aunt didn't quite work for me. However, aside from that, I enjoyed this story very much. Grade:B+
A Twelfth Night Tale by Diane Gaston is the final story. I normally enjoy Ms. Gaston's writing quite a bit but this story felt a bit rushed and truncated. This one is a second chance at love story. After a youthful romance, Elizabeth and Zachary were separated as Zachary went off to war. Now, years later, Elizabeth is employed as a governess. Her young charge has been cast out by her parents so Elizabeth is travelling with her in search of safe haven with other family.
They are caught in a storm and end up seeking refuge at what Elizabeth remembered as the home of Zachary's uncle. However, unbeknownst to her, Zachary has inherited and he is in residence. This sets in motion an emotionally charged Christmas romance. I enjoyed the story at first and I wanted to see how this reunion would work out. However, the pacing in this tale felt very rushed and the various threads of plot tied up abruptly and way too neatly. Grade: B-
Sadly, while this anthology was once available as an eBook, it seems to have been taken down (at least on Amazon). Still, it's readily and cheaply available in hard copy from a number of used booksellers and worth tracking down.
May 26, 2017
Normally in anthologies like these, the best story is reserved for last—presumably to end on a delicious, cozy note. Considering Elizabeth Rolls' and Deborah Hale's offerings brimmed over with warmth and generosity, Christmas spirit and tenderness and love, I was sure I was in for a treat with that last story.
Alas, Mistletoe Kisses broke with tradition. Diane Gaston's tale was almost exclusively tell with no show, and given all the secrets and self-pity and distrust between the hero and heroine, I felt more Christmas spirit, tenderness, and love between the heroine and her pregnant ex-student, the hero and his long-dead brother and father and uncle, and the pregnant ex-student and her supposedly dead fiancé.
The rating for this book is entirely due to Elizabeth Rolls' and Deborah Hale's novellas, and while I would advise any new readers to avoid Diane Gaston's story altogether, if you must read it, make sure you read it first and save the other two for last.
Alas, Mistletoe Kisses broke with tradition. Diane Gaston's tale was almost exclusively tell with no show, and given all the secrets and self-pity and distrust between the hero and heroine, I felt more Christmas spirit, tenderness, and love between the heroine and her pregnant ex-student, the hero and his long-dead brother and father and uncle, and the pregnant ex-student and her supposedly dead fiancé.
The rating for this book is entirely due to Elizabeth Rolls' and Deborah Hale's novellas, and while I would advise any new readers to avoid Diane Gaston's story altogether, if you must read it, make sure you read it first and save the other two for last.
December 21, 2010
A wonderful collection of regency romances for the holiday season! These stories are full of holiday cheer, they didn't just throw in one or two Christmas scenes and call it a Christmas book, it's all about Christmas in this one!!
January 10, 2021
Fun Christmas Anthology
4 stars
This is a collection of three Mills & Boon Christmas tales all set during a festive season of the Regency.
A Soldier's Tale by Elizabeth Rolls
Dominic, Viscount Alderley has recently returned from war and is expected by his family to marry a prim little heiress. But when he returns home it's his cousin Pippa that draws his attention and seems like the only one who is willing to overlook his scars.
Essentially this is a pleasant story with an enjoyable cast of characters. Dominic is a rake who is surprised to fall in love with Pippa - while Pippa is a Cinderella type character who has always been in love with Dominic. The story is sweet but despite being set over the festive period, it's not very Christmassy.
A Winter Night's Tale by Deborah Hale
Christabel Wilton is expecting a cold and lonely Christmas with her young son when the man she jilted many years ago comes back into her life. As he helps her through an illness and they start to spend the festive season together, they soon realise that things may be better second time around.
This tale is well-written and with slightly more Christmas content than the first story. The characters were fine if maybe slightly less developed than I would have liked. Their love is sweet and believable and the situations very touching.
A Twelfth Night Tale by Diane Gaston
Ten years ago, one impulsive night changed Elizabeth Arrington's life forever. Now fate has once again thrown her in the path of Zachary Weston - now the powerful Earl of Bolton. As the pair struggle through the festive season they must put their pasts aside to see if the future can be even better than they imagined.
Diane Gaston's final tale of this anthology is an excellently festive story of a second chance at love. Zach and Elizabeth are wonderful characters as well as being the perfect couple. I enjoyed the story of forgiveness and love which was well-written and nicely Christmassy!
Overall, this is an enjoyable anthology that while possibly not being the most festive set of tales - is still a good, fun read that is perfect for a cold winter's night.
*This book was previously published as Mistletoe Kisses in 2006.*
December 28, 2024
2.5 stars for “A Soldier’s Tale” by Elizabeth Rolls. I read this after “Christmas Cinderella”, but the events of this story take place first. This was a disappointment. Clunky writing and minimal relationship development, especially on heroine Pippa’s end — we’re told she’s been pining for hero Dominic nearly her entire life, but…why? Dominic has been gone for years, the last time he saw her she was barely a preteen, and it sounds as though they barely spent any time together before he left. Also, Pippa is a weakly drawn character, a fairly two-dimensional passive Mary Sue who never came alive for me. Dominic has a little more characterization; when we meet him he’s a dissipated rake, and while I found his turnaround believable, he never really considers what Pippa would want — it’s as though he just assumes that marriage to him is what’s best for Pippa. He’s not egocentric or arrogant; I think this is the fault of the writing, as we don’t receive any insight into Pippa’s dreams or desires, just that she wants Dominic and dislikes being treated as the poor relation/dependent in the household. She’s a fairly static character, and she’s written as though she’s simply been languishing off-stage, waiting for him to re-enter the scene.
2 stars for “A Winter’s Night Tale” by Deborah Hale. Totally forgettable. A sled-full of Christmas-y activities and holly and snow, but zero chemistry between the hero and heroine. Jonathan and Christabel were engaged six years ago, until she threw him off to elope with her now-dead husband. Weirdly, I found their previous relationship more believable than their second chance: Jonathan is a quiet hero who immediately fell for Christabel’s openness and vivacity, while she found him too reserved and dull, and was forced by her father to accept his proposal. Jonathan is a very good man who gradually opens up more as the story progresses, and while Christabel regrets breaking off their engagement the way she did, and she’s living on the edge of poverty after her husband’s death, she truly loved her husband and they had a happy marriage.
Other than that, the character work is incredibly thin, and for all the time they spend together in the story, there’s minimal relationship development. Two stars because it’s boring but inoffensive.
1 star for “A Twelfth Night Tale” by Diane Gaston. What the hell was this?! Talk about underbaked, underdeveloped, and absurd. The heroine Elizabeth became more bafflingly stupid and naive as the story progressed. I’m angry with myself for reading this.
2 stars for “A Winter’s Night Tale” by Deborah Hale. Totally forgettable. A sled-full of Christmas-y activities and holly and snow, but zero chemistry between the hero and heroine. Jonathan and Christabel were engaged six years ago, until she threw him off to elope with her now-dead husband. Weirdly, I found their previous relationship more believable than their second chance: Jonathan is a quiet hero who immediately fell for Christabel’s openness and vivacity, while she found him too reserved and dull, and was forced by her father to accept his proposal. Jonathan is a very good man who gradually opens up more as the story progresses, and while Christabel regrets breaking off their engagement the way she did, and she’s living on the edge of poverty after her husband’s death, she truly loved her husband and they had a happy marriage.
Other than that, the character work is incredibly thin, and for all the time they spend together in the story, there’s minimal relationship development. Two stars because it’s boring but inoffensive.
1 star for “A Twelfth Night Tale” by Diane Gaston. What the hell was this?! Talk about underbaked, underdeveloped, and absurd. The heroine Elizabeth became more bafflingly stupid and naive as the story progressed. I’m angry with myself for reading this.
December 7, 2017
A Soldier's Tale - 4 stars! Lovely Beauty and the Beast romance, with a sweet twist at the end.
A Winter Night's Tale - 3 Stars A nice second chance romance that shows the value of kindness and stability. The aunt bit was weird. Not the degenerative alzheimer's, but that she was a child.
A Twelfth Night Tale - 2 stars. Another second chance romance. I never really connected with any of the characters. It just was blah.
A Winter Night's Tale - 3 Stars A nice second chance romance that shows the value of kindness and stability. The aunt bit was weird. Not the degenerative alzheimer's, but that she was a child.
A Twelfth Night Tale - 2 stars. Another second chance romance. I never really connected with any of the characters. It just was blah.
January 10, 2019
I won a copy of this book from Deborah, I was not required to give a favorable review. Each of these stories how such love, and the love of family and the holidays. Each one was well written and would recommend it to someone is looking for 3 really great Christmas stories.
June 4, 2023
A Soldier’s Tale
Loved this novella - just wish it had been a full novel. Philippa and Dominic are great characters in a mixed cast of nice and nasty. A longer novel would have given the opportunity to develop characters such as Alex, Althea, and Rafe.
Highly recommended 👍🏻
Loved this novella - just wish it had been a full novel. Philippa and Dominic are great characters in a mixed cast of nice and nasty. A longer novel would have given the opportunity to develop characters such as Alex, Althea, and Rafe.
Highly recommended 👍🏻
November 28, 2019
4.5 stars overall
December 18, 2023
A perfect trio of festive regency tales. I enjoyed each and every one of these.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 29, 2008
This was my latest Christmas read, an anthology by Elizabeth Rolls, Deborah Hale and Diane Gaston.
A Soldier's Tale by Elizabeth Rolls
Dominic, Viscount Alderley's family are looking to him to marry an heiress, but only his downtrodden, compassionate cousin Pippa seems able to ignore his scars….
A Winter Night's Tale by Deborah Hale
This year's festivities for Christabel and her young son will be sparse and cold--or so she thinks. When the man she'd loved and lost returns, offering her warmth, comfort and a true family Christmas, she can't resist!
A Twelfth Night Tale by Diane Gaston
One impulsive night of love changed Elizabeth's life forever. Now, ten years later, Elizabeth and Zachary meet again. Will their second Twelfth Night together see their happiness reborn?
It was my first read by Elizabeth Rolls and I really liked the story. It was simple but sweet and romantic as the two cousins fall in love. Dominic returns home from the war scarred, to find the heiress he is expected to marry waiting for him. Pippa has been living with the family almost as an unpaid companion since her dowry was lost in bad investments. She is the one he talks with the most and the only one who seems to understand him. It will take a bit of persuasion to convince her in the end though. A B read.
Deborah Hale's was my least favourite story although it wasn't bad. The heroine in this story has jilted the hero a few years before and married another. She is now a widow with a son and is completely destitute. Her salvation comes because the hero shows up at her doostep and, after she faints, takes her home to be seen by a doctor an spend the holidays. She recovers from her illness and they spend the holidays together with her son and his senile aunt and rediscover love. A C+ read.
Diane Gaston's was the most emotional story and my favourite too. The h/h met as a young couple, fell in love and shared a night of passion. After which the hero departed for war and the heroine found herself pregnant and later lost the child.
They are both scarred by these past events when they meet again.
Elizabeth, a governess, is returning home with her pregnant charge. Zachary feels compelled to offer for her given their previous history and Elizabeth decides to accept as she feels responsible for the new mother and her baby. I really liked the way they rediscovered each other The conflict that happens at the end due to a mercenary mother and her daughter was unnecessary from my pov as I was more interested in the characters's internal conflicts. A B+ read.
A Soldier's Tale by Elizabeth Rolls
Dominic, Viscount Alderley's family are looking to him to marry an heiress, but only his downtrodden, compassionate cousin Pippa seems able to ignore his scars….
A Winter Night's Tale by Deborah Hale
This year's festivities for Christabel and her young son will be sparse and cold--or so she thinks. When the man she'd loved and lost returns, offering her warmth, comfort and a true family Christmas, she can't resist!
A Twelfth Night Tale by Diane Gaston
One impulsive night of love changed Elizabeth's life forever. Now, ten years later, Elizabeth and Zachary meet again. Will their second Twelfth Night together see their happiness reborn?
It was my first read by Elizabeth Rolls and I really liked the story. It was simple but sweet and romantic as the two cousins fall in love. Dominic returns home from the war scarred, to find the heiress he is expected to marry waiting for him. Pippa has been living with the family almost as an unpaid companion since her dowry was lost in bad investments. She is the one he talks with the most and the only one who seems to understand him. It will take a bit of persuasion to convince her in the end though. A B read.
Deborah Hale's was my least favourite story although it wasn't bad. The heroine in this story has jilted the hero a few years before and married another. She is now a widow with a son and is completely destitute. Her salvation comes because the hero shows up at her doostep and, after she faints, takes her home to be seen by a doctor an spend the holidays. She recovers from her illness and they spend the holidays together with her son and his senile aunt and rediscover love. A C+ read.
Diane Gaston's was the most emotional story and my favourite too. The h/h met as a young couple, fell in love and shared a night of passion. After which the hero departed for war and the heroine found herself pregnant and later lost the child.
They are both scarred by these past events when they meet again.
Elizabeth, a governess, is returning home with her pregnant charge. Zachary feels compelled to offer for her given their previous history and Elizabeth decides to accept as she feels responsible for the new mother and her baby. I really liked the way they rediscovered each other The conflict that happens at the end due to a mercenary mother and her daughter was unnecessary from my pov as I was more interested in the characters's internal conflicts. A B+ read.
July 26, 2014
"A Soldier's Tale" is a 'Beauty and the Beast' tale and, in fact, incorporates that tale into the story. I originally got this book for this story since I am a sucker for wounded Regency heroes. The hero doesn't really describe his wounds when he writes home, so his family is understandably shocked, Pippa as much as the others. This story was the weakest of the three; his scars and wounds often disappear and seem to be brought out only at certain times. In spite of being the weakest story in the book, it was still very good.
"A Winter's Night's Tale" was my favorite story and left me wanting to know more about Jonathan. He fell in love with Christabel six years ago and, after her elopement with another man, he visits her; finding her ill he bring her and her son to his home, then asks them to stay longer for the Christmas celebrations as a favor to his aunt who is regressing into childhood. His thoughts, his hesitations, his questioning himself - reveal a deep and thoughful man who takes very little for granted.
"A Twelfth Night's Tale" was a well-written story and my introduction to Diane Gaston. I didn't like the characters and find the entire cast almost certifiable - a man with anger and sobriety issues, a barren governess who seems too possessive of her charge's newborn daughter, a new mother too cherry and optimistic in the face of her lover's death. A non-fiancee who lies and sneaks out of the hero's bedroom and her manipulative mother seemed the most normal characters. The end and epilogue were no surprise. For all that I didn't enjoy this story, it was so well-written that I will be looking for other works by Diane Gaston.
"A Winter's Night's Tale" was my favorite story and left me wanting to know more about Jonathan. He fell in love with Christabel six years ago and, after her elopement with another man, he visits her; finding her ill he bring her and her son to his home, then asks them to stay longer for the Christmas celebrations as a favor to his aunt who is regressing into childhood. His thoughts, his hesitations, his questioning himself - reveal a deep and thoughful man who takes very little for granted.
"A Twelfth Night's Tale" was a well-written story and my introduction to Diane Gaston. I didn't like the characters and find the entire cast almost certifiable - a man with anger and sobriety issues, a barren governess who seems too possessive of her charge's newborn daughter, a new mother too cherry and optimistic in the face of her lover's death. A non-fiancee who lies and sneaks out of the hero's bedroom and her manipulative mother seemed the most normal characters. The end and epilogue were no surprise. For all that I didn't enjoy this story, it was so well-written that I will be looking for other works by Diane Gaston.
January 10, 2024
First Story DNF
********************
Second Story – DNF
++++++++++++++++++++
Third Story – 5 stars
The 3rd story is a guilty pleasure. Goofy romance but so fun to read!!
This one added the dreaded “secret baby”. I don’t like secret babies – however this one was not hokey and was believable.
THINGS I LIKED:
- Zachery and Elizabeth. These two were all smoldering glances until finally they got it together.
- The ending. Very satisfying.
THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:
- Anna and her baby. Anna was just too TSTL!! I realize that she had to be in the story but WHOA!! She was just too over the top!!
- The woman and her daughter from London. They were way over the top!! Again – they were needed for the story but just too much. It was almost as if a conflict was needed and these women from London were created to create that conflict.
I still love reading this story!
BEST USE OF: Snowy cold Christmas
ALPHA MALE 10
SPUNKY HEROINE 10
CUTE KID 1
HOT SEX 8
HEA(HAPPILY EVER AFTER) oh yes
PROLOGUE/EPILOGUE oh no but the last chapter was enough to cover an epilogue.
Rating System
10 - Excellent - keeping the book for the third story alone!!
Heat Level
4 – hot lovemaking scenes.
COVER COVERS IT: The covers the one story I liked
********************
Second Story – DNF
++++++++++++++++++++
Third Story – 5 stars
The 3rd story is a guilty pleasure. Goofy romance but so fun to read!!
This one added the dreaded “secret baby”. I don’t like secret babies – however this one was not hokey and was believable.
THINGS I LIKED:
- Zachery and Elizabeth. These two were all smoldering glances until finally they got it together.
- The ending. Very satisfying.
THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:
- Anna and her baby. Anna was just too TSTL!! I realize that she had to be in the story but WHOA!! She was just too over the top!!
- The woman and her daughter from London. They were way over the top!! Again – they were needed for the story but just too much. It was almost as if a conflict was needed and these women from London were created to create that conflict.
I still love reading this story!
BEST USE OF: Snowy cold Christmas
ALPHA MALE 10
SPUNKY HEROINE 10
CUTE KID 1
HOT SEX 8
HEA(HAPPILY EVER AFTER) oh yes
PROLOGUE/EPILOGUE oh no but the last chapter was enough to cover an epilogue.
Rating System
10 - Excellent - keeping the book for the third story alone!!
Heat Level
4 – hot lovemaking scenes.
COVER COVERS IT: The covers the one story I liked
February 8, 2014
Share the warmth and happiness of a Regency Christmas with three award-winning authors!
A Soldier's Tale by Elizabeth Rolls
Dominic, Viscount Alderley's family are looking to him to marry an heiress, but only his downtrodden, compassionate cousin Pippa seems able to ignore his scars....
A Winter Night's Tale by Deborah Hale
This year's festivities for Christabel and her young son will be sparse and cold--or so she thinks. When the man she'd loved and lost returns, offering her warmth, comfort and a true family Christmas, she can't resist!
A Twelfth Night Tale by Diane Gaston
One impulsive night of love changed Elizabeth's life forever. Now, ten years later, Elizabeth and Zachary meet again. Will their second Twelfth Night together see their happiness reborn?
I enjoy much of what Elizabeth Rolls has written, and her story hits the spot.
A Soldier's Tale by Elizabeth Rolls
Dominic, Viscount Alderley's family are looking to him to marry an heiress, but only his downtrodden, compassionate cousin Pippa seems able to ignore his scars....
A Winter Night's Tale by Deborah Hale
This year's festivities for Christabel and her young son will be sparse and cold--or so she thinks. When the man she'd loved and lost returns, offering her warmth, comfort and a true family Christmas, she can't resist!
A Twelfth Night Tale by Diane Gaston
One impulsive night of love changed Elizabeth's life forever. Now, ten years later, Elizabeth and Zachary meet again. Will their second Twelfth Night together see their happiness reborn?
I enjoy much of what Elizabeth Rolls has written, and her story hits the spot.
December 16, 2010
I really enjoyed the first story about the scarred hero. Some readers might be skeeved out by the fact that the hero and heroine are cousins, although that sort of thing was common in historical times. It didn't really bother me.
The second story was also a sweet story about lovers reunited. I enjoyed it.
The third story had a good beginning, but the last bit of the story drove me nuts. The heroine was all too quick to believe anything bad she heard about the hero. I wished she'd trusted him more.
The second story was also a sweet story about lovers reunited. I enjoyed it.
The third story had a good beginning, but the last bit of the story drove me nuts. The heroine was all too quick to believe anything bad she heard about the hero. I wished she'd trusted him more.
December 16, 2015
This bundle of 3 historic romance stories by Elizabeth Rolls, Deborah Hale & Diane Gaston was a really nice winter read with a nice assortment of stories and endings. I really enjoyed this set of historic romances. I was given this by one of the authors in return for an honest review. I've given it an overall rating of 4.5*. I also learned a little more about mistletoe traditions from this, which was nice. An overall satisfying reading pleasure.
February 27, 2020
It's not often that I like all the stories in an anthology equally well, but I did in Mistletoe Kisses. Three wonderful stories of love found unexpectedly at Christmas. The stories are distinctly different, but each is very good.
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July 22, 2010Liked the Hale with the heroine who has come down in the world...
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September 5, 2010i have to read this..........cant find it nywhere!!!!
December 26, 2011
Lovely short Christmas stories!
taking-a-break
May 16, 2012Elizabeth Rolls - A Soldier's Tale - 3 stars
July 24, 2015
A Soldier's Tale > 5 stars
Winter Night's Tale > 3 stars
A Twelfth Night Tale > 5 stars
Winter Night's Tale > 3 stars
A Twelfth Night Tale > 5 stars
May 4, 2013
3 Regency Christmas stories in 1 book....I definitely enjoyed this book. Very heartwarming.
December 31, 2017
I am keeping this book because of the first two stories which, were solid fours. The one by Diane Gaston was only a two but, the other ones made up for it.
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