A Victorian Christmas Collection: Tea for Marie/Crosses and Losses/The Beauty of the Season/Wishful Thinking

by Peggy Stoks

HeartQuest brings readers a beautifully packaged one-volume collection of four well-loved Christmas novellas by Peggy Stoks. These historical love stories warm heart and soul with romance and the true meaning of Christmas.

Genres: Christmas, Romance

350 pages, Paperback

First published August 12, 2002

Reviews

[Claire Gossett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was in the mood for christmas hehe. Which they didn’t feel christmas-y at all actually. The book has 4 mini books within it and even though each mini book is about 70 pages, the characters are so deep and you feel as though the book is way longer if that makes sense. Very well done.

[Beverly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to give this book 3.5
These were four lovely, light Christmas season stories about faith, and love and life.
Great addition to my Christmas season reads.

[Dark-Draco · Rating 2 out of 5]

A tad disappointed with this book. I wanted to start off the festive period with some holiday romance and imagined that this would be like watching a Hallmark made-for-TV movie. The writing was good and the stories entertaining enough, but they could of been set at any time of the year - in fact, the 'Christmas' element was barely acknowledged, with only a passing mention of decorations or presents or the traditions of the time. The only really strong connection was with the recipes that the author includes between the stories - now those made me think of Festive Food!

I think I liked the first story the best, with it's homestead feel and 'new' romance between the two young neighbours. The last one was my least favourite, although there was nothing 'bad' about it - it just didn't appeal as much as the others.

Overall, an ok collection that kept me entertained, but didn't exactly get me into the Christmas spirit :(

[Gwen Susanek]

There were 4 short stories in this book. Very good stories. Recommended.

[Joy Gerbode · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely Christmas time romances; nice easy reading

[Brianna Mays · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a hopeless romantic and love historical romance! These were great stories for that!

[Jean Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are 4 sweet, light, short stories for the Christmas season about life, faith and love. I enjoyed reading all of them.

[MaryAnn Lockey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for a church library review. Although not a fan of romance as a main theme, this was a sweet pleasant read.

[Danni · Rating 3 out of 5]

fun

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great collection of short stories set back in the late 1800s. One reminds me of the Waltons sitting at the supper table with the brothers and sisters bickering back and forth between each other. It also had a grandma that liked to grumble. The daughter has a prominent suitor, but father has someone else in mind for her. The second story focuses on a tragedy which causes a great strain between the mother and the father. Can they recapture the love they once shared? The children certainly try to help them along, even if they have to be mischievous about it. The third story is about seeing the inner beauty. It involves a young woman with a birth mark and the young man that wants to romance her. The last story "Wishful Thinking" was my favorite. It is about a 70 year old man that has been a widower for 24 years. He has his eye on a 68 year old spinster named Betsy. But Betsy has no intention of getting married. After all she is an older woman that just has no use for a man in her life. "Why bothering telling her that she is beautiful? Why couldn't someone have told her that back when she was young?"

[Sherri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four sweet, heart-felt stories about finding or refinding love and redemption before Christmas.

I'm leary about novellas because the writing has to really pull me for a short story and with these I could feel the emotion with these characters.

Recap:
1. finding love underneath your nose...
2. overcoming grief to rekindle a love that has been banked...
3. looking past skin-deep...
4. it's never too late in life to love and to realize it before it's too late...

[Nellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read "The beauty of the season" in a set of 3 other books, not these listed by Peggy Stoks.
It was clean, easy, quick, and fun. Christian theme. It was well written. It was OK, but not "YAHOO, I loved it!".
Overcoming hardships is the theme to this book. Seeing past a birthmark to the person inside.
It was enjoyable.

[Saadia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heartfelt, heartwarming stories of people who find new or renewed love in each other through struggles, with underlying uplifting faith. Faith in the constancy of God gives there characters the strength to cope with significant challenges, find the hope or the goodness that is mostly elusive and bring them to appreciate the great blessings in their lives.
Very nice writing, thank you!

[Vianh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I still have not read the very last story in the book but enjoyed rereading the second to last which is so far my favorite. I intend to read the last story next Christmas.

[Kaitron · Rating 2 out of 5]

trying to get into the Christmas spirit.... it didn't work. That is more my problem than the books though.

[MollyRN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this many years ago . Nicely done. By a friend of mine.