Christmas Cheer

Holidays With Jane #1

by Jennifer Becton, Melissa Buell, Rebecca M. Fleming

Six talented authors make your Christmas lights twinkle with these modern-day adaptations of Jane Austen's novels. Curl up with some peppermint tea and enjoy something special in your stocking this holiday season.
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The Work of an Instant
by Jennifer Becton

When Frederick Wentworth's ship docks at the Navy base in Charleston just in time for Christmas, Anne Elliot feels torn between desire to see her former fiancé and fear of rejection. Will taking a risk end in humiliation or give Anne a second chance with her first love? To find out, all she has to do is turn around and face him.

Mischief and Mistletoe
by Melissa Buell

Thrifty designer and secret Gothic novel enthusiast Cate Morland gets the opportunity of a lifetime to plan the costumes for the upcoming Dickens' Christmas Festival. There she meets Henry Tilney who shows an interest in more than Cate's costume designs. Mistaken by Henry's father as a rich heiress, Cate is invited to stay with the Tilney family at their estate. Will Henry feel the same for Cate once he discovers she is a seamstress paying her own way through design school?

A Tale of Three Christmases
by Rebecca M. Fleming

When their father dies, leaving their brother everything, life changes radically for the Dashwood girls. Librarian Ellie and musician Marianne have their work of course, but what about teenage Maggie? Maggie only has her writing—a surprising saving grace that helps her chronicle the ups and downs of life, love and family in this tale of three Christmases.

With Love, from Emma
by Cecilia Gray

A visit to Emma Gold's flower shop can save a relationship but a date at Lance Knightley's bar can take that relationship to the next level, so who should be considered Heartfield, Oregon's resident romance expert? Emma and Lance square off at their best friends' wedding to settle the score. Sparks fly as bets are made and favors are won in this contemporary Christmas retelling, recounted With Love, from Emma.

It's a Wonderful Latte
by Jessica Grey

Evie St. Laurent can always count on three things: being single during Christmas in Los Angeles, her job as manager at Mansfield Perk, and Frank Nakatomi, her best friend and coworker, cheering her up when she's down. But when the glamorous Piper siblings come to town and sweep everyone off their feet, what Evie thought was sure in her life starts slipping away. It will take some Christmas magic and the help of a very special angel named Jane to help Evie see that the love she's been waiting for has been there all the time.

Pride & Presents
by Kimberly Truesdale

Liz Bennet wants to make this Christmas the best that Longbourn Community Center has ever had. When basketball superstar Charles Bingley shows up to volunteer, it looks like that just might happen—even in spite of his unhelpful friend Will Darcy. But when everything starts to go wrong and Longbourn itself is in danger, Liz must set aside her pride and ask for help. Then she'll discover that the best presents are the ones you never expect.

Genres: Christmas, Romance, Fiction, Holiday, Short Stories, Contemporary Romance

372 pages, ebook

First published October 28, 2014

Reviews

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was really, REALLY impressed with every one of these great short stories. Six authors each take on one of Jane Austen's Big Six to create modern Christmas stories incorporating the plots and characters. There's one subtle (and clever) link among these tales: Mansfield Perk is a coffeehouse chain and many of the main characters drink its brews. In addition, Sew-Easy is a popular online source for beautiful re-designed dresses that several of our heroines wear when it's time to dress up.

Jennifer Becton is the lead-off author with her Navy-centric version of Persuasion called The Work of an Instant. Anne broke her engagement to Frederick Wentworth because she didn't want to be married to a man she knew she'd be separated from for months at a time while he was deployed. I love the Christmas magic that a certain Santa uses to bring Dr. Anne Elliot and Lieutenant Commander Wentworth of the U.S.S. Kellynch together after a separation of seven years. Nicely done!

Second is Mischief and Mistletoe by Melissa Buell, which introduces Sew-Easy as the brainchild of aspiring designer Cate Morland. She's a home-schooled PK (Pastor's kid!) who first became interested in sewing when Mrs. Allen hosted a sewing circle of church women at her home. Now Mrs. Allen is offering her a job dressing the participants in the Santa Barbara Dickens' Christmas Festival. There, Cate meets Henry Tilney, Isabella and John Thorpe. As it happens, Cate has a thing for mystery/horror books, and the Tilney home, Northanger Estate, was used as a setting for the film version of her favorite. Hmmmm... wonder what happens there? This is another pitch-perfect modernization.

A Tale of Three Christmases was written by Rebecca M. Fleming from the point of view of the youngest Dashwood sister, Maggie. There's another bit of magic here, as Maggie discovers a gift to her from her recently deceased father in the attic with very specific instructions and results. We learn Maggie's perspective on her sisters and their potential boyfriends over three Christmases as she herself grows from a 17-year-old to a 20-year-old. Marianne has plenty to get distressed about, especially since Francesca/Fanny is obsessed with decorating and entertaining at Christmastime and doesn't show any empathy for her husband's family. Maggie recognizes the feelings Ellie and Edward have for each other, and she's astute on picking up on the weird atmosphere the year Lucie Steele shows up. Excellent!

Cecilia Gray's With Love, From Emma makes our favorite matchmaker the owner/proprietor of a flower shop who also has a fixation about bees. She can relate to the lonely Queen bee. Emma's 27 years old and is feeling lonely herself because most of her friends and cousins are married and therefore preoccupied with their families during the Christmas season. However, she is very proud of getting her friends Taylor and West together, and at their wedding reception she decides Elton and Harriet would make a nice couple. She makes a bet with Lance Knightley that the match will "take." Lance is the "sex on a stick" hunk who opened a bar on Main Street near her shop; only Mansfield Perk stands between their businesses. Things proceed as you might expect... or maybe not. Clever story!

Prize for the best story title goes to Jessica Grey with It's A Wonderful Latte. Fittingly, this is the tale based on Mansfield Park, and Evie St. Laurent, the main character, is the General Manager of the L.A. flagship coffeehouse. The Mansfield Perk chain was launched by Evie's famous and wealthy grandmother. Jane Austen herself figures in this story. Jane isn't an angel, but she IS a messenger sent down to give Evie a push in the right direction. And Evie definitely needs one. Frank is a dependable employee, while Izzy, Evie's cousin, can be a bit of a slacker. Jake and Maggie Piper (the contemporary versions of Mary and Henry Crawford) show up looking for participation from all the local businesses in a Christmas fundraise, starting with the coffeehouse. You gotta love that Evie is a big Jane Austen fan, but Mansfield Park is her least favorite Austen novel. There are brief appearances by Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) and Jane's sister Cassandra, too, who converse with Jane in Heaven. This is an inspired adaptation.

Lastly, Pride and Presents by Kimberly Truesdale does a great job modernizing Austen's favorite novel. Mr. Bennet has been managing Longbourn Community Center with his family's involvement helping inner city kids for twenty years. Liz is ready to take over for her father in organizing all the Christmas activities this year and the end-of-year paperwork, hoping he will finally relax and enjoy a well-deserved retirement. Charles Bingley shows up at the Center, making a big stir with the kids, as he is the star of the city basketball team. Will Darcy is his lawyer and accompanies him to the Center. Mr. Collins is a lawyer Mr. Bennet hired to file the necessary legal work for their non-profit status and building lease. Wickham shows up as another volunteer at the Center, so Liz gets to hear his sob story regarding the snobby Will Darcy. The parallels to the original P&P are really well done, and so is the romance that builds between Will and Liz. I believe this is the first African-American variation that I've come across, and I'm delighted with that. (Hear that, authors? We could use more races represented in our JAFF, especially the modern ones! But I digress...) Love this story!

This is a fantastic short story collection, and perfect reading for the Christmas season, appropriate for all ages. I'm sorry I didn't get around to reading it sooner!

[Kirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Holidays with Jane: Christmas Cheer" is a great read. This is an excellent example of why I love Jane Austen Fan Fiction. Six excellent Jane Austen short stories set in current times. I loved that an element from the first story connected with the other stories(Team Catherine!).

[Ceri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was first published on Babblings of a Bookworm: http://babblingsofabookworm.blogspot....

I saw this book featured on a few blogs and it sounded like something I’d really enjoy; a collection of contemporary short stories, each by a different Indie Jane author (Jennifer Becton, Melissa Buell, Rebecca M Fleming, Cecilia Gray, Jessica Grey, Kimberley Truesdale) and each focusing on a different one of Austen’s works. The stories have some linkage although they don’t cross over at all, for example, Catherine Morland runs a dressmaking business and she is making the Dashwood sisters’ dresses, Emma runs a gift shop where Edward buys a present for Elinor, and probably the strongest link is an Austen-themed coffee shop chain called ‘Mansfield Perk’. I really liked the fact that the stories were linked, it brought the book together nicely.

Here’s a quick rundown of the stories:

The Work of an Instant by Jennifer Becton, based on 'Persuasion'

Here, Dr Anne Elliot is a doctor on a naval base. She gave up her engagement to Frederick Wentworth 7 years ago, believing that she couldn’t bear the separations that would be inevitable once Frederick was working towards his dream of becoming a Captain. But Anne gets a chance, in the work of an instant, to realise that if she had her time again, she’d choose differently. This was a really lovely short story, which echoed back to the original in a number of ways. I particularly liked this part, showing the Miss Musgrove’s view of Anne, which I thought was really similar to ‘Persuasion’:

‘Of course, neither Louisa nor Henrietta had the least idea of what they had interrupted. They viewed her as some sort of asexual problem-solving machine.

And perhaps that was all she was destined to be.

Well, if that were the case, then she would be the best asexual problem-solving machine possible.’

One thing that often doesn’t translate well to a modern update is Wentworth’s letter, which is possibly the most exquisite page of a book that I’ve ever read. This isn’t quite as delicious as that, but it was a very lovely and worthy letter, possibly the best modern update Wentworth’s letter I’ve read so far.

Mischief and Mistletoe by Melissa Buell, based on 'Northanger Abbey'

This was such a lovely story, featuring the sweet Catherine. She is the only daughter of a pastor, homeschooled, no TV and a small social circle which has resulted in her being extremely naive compared with most 18 year olds. However, Cate is a very talented designer and seamstress, running her own online business, ‘Cate’s Creations’. Most of Cate’s dresses are remade thrift store finds. Cate was taught to sew by her neighbour, Mrs Allen, who has taken her on as a bit of a protégé and given Cate a great opportunity - she is going to take on all the design work for costumes for a theatre production out of town. There she meets a young divinity student, Henry Tilney, whose sister Eleanor is going to assist Cate with the costume-making. The girls become firm friends, and when Cate needs to stay in the area longer than the Allens she arranges with Eleanor to stay at Northanger Estate. I enjoyed this story, but I would have liked for it to be developed a bit more.

A Tale of Three Christmases by Rebecca M Fleming, based on 'Sense & Sensibility'

This was a wonderful story, which made me both laugh and cry. The tears come from the situation Maggie Dashwood finds herself in. A few weeks before Christmas, Maggie’s father dies. She, her mother, and her sisters are probably going to have to move away from their family home due to an archaic clause which means that the property has to be willed, complete, to a male heir. Maggie goes up to her hideaway in the attic and finds a beautiful box. Inside is a notebook and a letter from her father, asking her to write a diary of the next three Christmases. It’s a beautifully thoughtful idea of her father’s, because not only does it give Maggie a connection to her father now he’s gone, but it also gives her an outlet away from the dysfunction that exists within her family, especially at a time of loss.

The laughter came from Maggie’s attitude towards her sister Marianne. I haven’t read Sense & Sensibility in a number of years, but I remember that I found Marianne unbelievably self-absorbed and tiresome... Maggie shares my view, and had a number of acerbic comments to make on it:

‘It’s not the trees’ fault that Marianne got lost, in the middle of a tantrum-induced walk, right as a March storm broke. If Wills hadn’t been having his own Byronic fit, she might have wandered all afternoon and into the evening, but he found her and was able to escort her home. From that point on? They were disgustingly inseparable.’

One thing I think is hard to update in 'Sense & Sensibility' is the Lucy Steele scenario, why Edward would stick with a relationship which he clearly wasn’t invested in, but here the author gave an explanation which I thought was really plausible. This was an excellent story.

With Love, From Emma by Cecilia Gray, based on 'Emma'

This was my favourite story of the collection, I just loved it. Emma runs a florist and gift store. She also keeps bees, from which she harvests wax for candles etc. We catch up with her at her best friend, Taylor’s wedding to West, which is being held on Christmas Eve. Emma is particularly proud of herself because she counts herself as personally responsible for making the match:

‘They all talk as if some celestial Cupid had been involved.

Cupid wishes.’

Emma is joined at the wedding by her neighbour, Lance Knightley. He moved to the area about a year ago, and his bar is two stores along from Emma’s shop. Over a number of incidents throughout the last year, Emma and Lance have become friends. She is very attracted to Lance but is fighting it because she believes he sees her like a sister. Emma is constantly having to stop herself drooling at Lance, which led to a number of very amusing thoughts from her:

‘The man knew how to lean against a wall. Did models take classes in stuff like this, or did it just come naturally to attractive people?’

The thing I loved most about this story is that to me it captured the essence of Emma from Austen’s story – Emma was a busybody who felt she knew best, however, it was because she cared about people that she interfered and the fact that she did it with love always made me feel fond of her. This Emma has chosen to bring joy to the world through her gift store. I also liked the bee motif running through the story. Aside from keeping bees, Emma is also very much a queen bee herself. However, when Emma decides to match up Harriet with Elton she explains to Lance how a new queen bee is made, and it illustrates how she views her interference in others’ lives:

“That’s all it takes. A little extra nourishment and tenderness and you have a queen.”

That’s always been the secret to my business. That anyone can feel like a queen, can be a queen, with the right love.’

Another thing I thought was a nice touch about this story is that Emma is quite a lonely person; although she mentions having friends the only one you really see is Taylor, and Emma’s parents are both dead. I think Emma Woodhouse was potentially fairly lonely, she has a very small social group and her socialising is curtailed somewhat by her father’s health.

I had to read this story twice, I loved it so much! It also hits a number of markers which exist in Austen’s story. Due to the shorter format, some of the characters from ‘Emma’ are absent, such as the Bates ladies and Jane Fairfax so we don’t have to see the bad side of Emma’s character that they bring out. Emma thinks back to a number of events throughout the year that she has understood one way when she could have interpreted them differently, for example:

‘For such a fancy car, he drove slowly and cautiously, taking full stops at every opportunity. You’d think a cop was following us. Or that I was his sister, I thought with a sigh. He probably drove like a hot-riding manic with women he actually wanted to date.

Still the long drive gave us time to chat.’

Perhaps that was why he was driving slowly, you clueless woman!

It’s a Wonderful Latte by Jessica Grey, based on ‘Mansfield Park’

I was interested to see that Jessica Grey was writing the book based on ‘Mansfield Park’ because as far as I know, she really doesn’t like it! The story opens with Jane Austen and her sister Cassandra, sipping tea in the afterlife. Jane gets visited by another spirit, a Mr Clemens. I didn’t know what that name signified until Jane said this:

“Here to beat me over the head with your own shinbone, Mr. Clemens?”

And then it all became clear who Mr Clemens was, which gave me a giggle. He has an assignment for Jane, down on Earth, like Clarence had in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’. Jane is sent to Mansfield Perk, where the manager, Evie, also dislikes ‘Mansfield Park’. On a personal note, I’ve only read ‘Mansfield Park’ twice – the first time as a romantic teen, and I really didn’t think much of it at all. I read it again a couple of years ago and I realised that it’s not a romance. There are romantic relationships, but that isn’t the main point of the book, and once I realised that I stopped being disappointed in the lack of romance and instead appreciated the book that I feel Austen intended to write. Funnily enough, Jane puts this view to Evie:

“...it’s Edmund Bertram I can’t stand.”

Jane looked up from fiddling with the wallet with an amused smile. “Is that so?”

“Oh yes, he’s a horrible romantic hero.”

“Maybe it’s not a romantic book.”

I stared at her blankly. “But-but-“ I spluttered. “Huh, I’ve never thought of that.”

Evie, who is the coffee shop owner’s granddaughter, works in the coffee shop with her cousin Izzy, and Frank, reliable Frank who is always there in the background. The store is visited by siblings Jake and Maggie Piper, who are new management of the mall the store is based in, wanting them to take part in a fund-raising celebration in the run up to Christmas. The fund-raising is for a theatre project, which isn’t a charity that’s close to Evie’s grandmother’s heart, but to paraphrase, ‘because Jake Piper was so ridiculously hot and Evie is so ridiculously shallow’ she convinces herself that it’s a good idea to support the project. Evie and Frank are usually in agreement on most things, but this time he feels that she’s not making the decision for the good of the store and it causes some friction in their relationship. Added to this, for some reason Evie doesn’t feel comfortable with Maggie Piper’s interest in Frank and his hot biceps!

There was an interesting point made, which I had never considered before:

“You are a bit like Edmund...or Emma. Emma was basically Edmund in a dress.”

I think there are definitely some similarities between the characters! Aside from these observations on Austen’s stories I also really enjoyed the tone of the story and the humour, Evie’s character was very likeable.

This story also contained my favourite quote of the book, which had me pausing my reading to share it on Goodreads:

“An angel?” I squeaked. “Like she’s on a mission from God?

“No, that’s The Blues Brothers. But she could be an angel. A JANE-GEL.”

Pride & Presents by Kimberley Truesdale, based on ‘Pride & Prejudice’

In this story the Bennet family run the Longbourn Community Centre, which does a lot for disadvanted kids in the neighbourhood. Liz is trying to convince her father that she’s up to the job of taking over running the centre so that he can retire. She’s successfully secured a load of donations for the Christmas party, and is feeling pretty upbeat when two visitors arrive. Basketball star Charles Bingley and his friend, Will Darcy, who is a lawyer, would like to volunteer, because their community centre gave so much to them when they were growing up. Everybody loves Charles, but Will is cold and seemingly uninterested and Liz resents him for his moodiness. Lydia’s new friend Wickham is a real contrast to Darcy, he’s charming, outgoing and friendly and even agrees to be Santa for the kids’ Christmas party. However, Liz learns that first impressions can be deceptive, and that she has made misjudgements.

As part of the work Liz is taking over from her father, she’s spent a lot of time on the paperwork for renewing the lease and Longbourn’s non-profit status but around the time that Wickham dumps Lydia, the paperwork goes missing along with a flash drive containing the backups. Liz realises that she may have blown both the future of Longbourn and any kind of future for her and Will. Plus they don’t have Santa for the Christmas show. What Liz needs is a Christmas miracle.

This was an enjoyable short story. It was interspersed with the poem ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’ and each line of the poem tied to a section of the story, which was a nice, Christmassy touch. I felt that this story might have benefitted from being a little longer. In ‘Pride & Prejudice’ the reader can see that Darcy is interested in Elizabeth before he asks her to marry him but here I don’t think it’s so clear. However, it’s still a story I enjoyed reading, and it was a nice festive way to round out the collection!

I really enjoyed reading this anthology. All of the stories were enjoyable, though I thought some worked better as short stories than others. Although they were all written by different authors, and so they are all slightly different in style they went together really nicely and I particularly liked the way the stories were linked, which I thought brought them nicely together into a collection. I can definitely see me picking up this book again when I want a quick fix of something Austenesque. I would recommend this book to anybody who likes contemporary-set JAFF. There are no sex scenes which may relieve you or disappoint you, depending on your view! I’d rate this as 4½ stars.

[Meredith (Austenesque Reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I heard that authors from Indie Jane Press were collaborating together to create an Austen-Inspired short story anthology, I thought it a terrific idea! Then, when I learned the stories were to be holiday-themed and full of “Christmas Cheer,” I was thrilled (who doesn’t love Christmas stories?!?) And… when I discovered that the stories were to be modern-day adaptations, one story for each of Jane Austen’s major novels, I was…excessively excited! How perfect and brilliant! What more could we ask for?

I hope you find this breakdown helpful!

THE WORK OF AN INSTANT – Jennifer Becton

The Premise: Anne Elliot spots her former fiancé in a coffee shop – does she run and hide or stay and face the man who stole her heart…

What I Loved: The clever way all these characters were updated – Anne is a doctor on a naval base, Dr. Russell is her superior, and Louisa and Henrietta are nurses. I also loved Frederick’s email, Camo Santa, and the enchanting and whimsical Christmas magic that surrounds this tale of second chances!

MISCHIEF AND MISTLETOE – Melissa Buell

The Premise: Cate Morland has new adventures and experiences when she is asked to create a set of costumes for a Dickens’ Christmas Festival in Santa Barbara…

What I Loved: That Cate remakes dresses! I loved learning about the fabrics and designs she was using as well as the orders from her Sew-Easy site she had to fill (one order was for three sisters by the name of Dashwood!) Cate was adorable with her innocence and artlessness – I’d love her for a BFF.

A TALE OF THREE CHRISTMASES – Rebecca M. Fleming

The Premise: After their father’s death, Maggie discovers one last gift from him in her special hiding place. However this gift comes with instructions and bit of Christmas magic…

What I Loved: What a unique way to tell the story!! I loved seeing everything through Maggie (Margaret’s) eyes. :) Her connection with her father was so sweet and moving. Their words to each other were so heartwarming and I loved learning of their relationship. One of my faves!

WITH LOVE, FROM EMMA – Cecilia Gray

The Premise: At her friend wedding Emma finally comes to terms with her feelings for flirtatious, probably-a-play-boy, Lance Knightley, but Emma is positive Lance only thinks of her as a friend…

What I Loved: How it was written! The story takes place in present-day at Taylor and West’s wedding, but has a flashback every so often that reveals Emma’s history with Lance. The flashbacks were filled with lovely “moments!” Loved sexy Lance and I loved how Emma was so clueless around him (so endearing)!! Loved the bee theme too! One of my faves!

IT’S A WONDERFUL LATTE – Jessica Grey

The Premise: An angel named Jane is sent to help out Evie St. Laurent, a manager at Mansfield Perk, who has her head turned by a gorgeous man…

What I Loved: That Jessica Grey, who I know has an intense aversion for Mansfield Park, wrote this!! Such a great concept with the gender swap and Clarence-like guardian angel! I’ve loved seeing Jane’s chats with Evie about her novels and I loved the witty repartee between Jane Austen and Mr. Clemens.

PRIDE AND PRESENTS – Kimberly Truesdale

The Premise: The Bennet family run Longbourn Community Center, Liz encourages her father to retire early because she is confident she can handle everything for the Christmas season, including renewing their lease and non-profit status…

What I Loved: How the whole family worked together at Longbourn Community Center and seeing all the holiday festivities everyone was involved with. Their crafts and kids performance sounded adorable. I enjoyed the twist with Mr. Collins and Wickham, and seeing our hero come in and save the day!

CONCLUSION: Six holiday-inspired tales that are warm, merry, and bright crafted by six creative and skilled story-tellers, who I can tell, admire Jane Austen and her novels as much as I do! I enjoyed discovering all the ways these stories echoed and paid tribute to Jane Austen’s six beloved novels and characters. And I absolutely loved how the stories were connected to each other with Mansfield Perk (an awesome coffee chain that I so very much want to visit in real life!!! Pretty please…can I?) and other businesses. A splendid collection that was exceptionally executed!

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

What is the best gift a Janeite can receive? Easy question. A short story anthology dedicated to Jane Austen novels! “Holidays with Jane: Christmas Cheer” is the perfect choice. Six great authors wrote six lovely stories that will make you dream and warm your hearts... not only during Christmastime.

The Work of an Instant - Jennifer Becton

Doctor Anne Elliot has never forgotten her former fiancé Frederick Wentworth, and when she sees him in a coffee shop after seven years, she feels as if fate had given her another chance at happiness. Will she have her own happy ending?

I truly loved this very sweet and romantic short story. Anne Elliot and Frederick Wentworth were depicted so faithful, even though they were modern characters, that it was beautiful to read about their love in a different and special setting such as Christmastime. It really was thrilling to see if everything would go well for them! The sweetness of Anne and the romantic words of Frederick (in this version said through an email) will please you exceedingly. If you do not mind a little bit of magic in your stories, you will love this one!

Mischief and Mistletoe - Melissa Buell

In this Northanger Abbey inspired story, the young seamstress Cate Morland has a great opportunity for her job thanks to her neighbour, a Mrs. Allen. It seems that next Christmas will bring her beautiful surprises!

What a funny and delightful story! Cate was lovely and a little naive as the original character, and it was funny to witness her adventure in Santa Barbara and her encounter and friendship with Henry and Eleanor Tilney. By the way, I kept picturing J.J. Feild (the actor who played Mr. Tilney in the 2007 adaptation) while reading it!

A Tale of Three Christmases - Rebecca M. Fleming

After her father’s death, Margaret Dashwood finds a hidden treasure in their attic at Norland Park. It is a special gift from someone who knows her very well, and with that little present the youngest of the Dashwood sisters will live three unforgettable Christmases!

This was one of my favourites among these six short stories. It was so touching and beautiful! I loved the fact that we have the chance to know all the characters through Maggie’s eyes, and I loved her father’s letters. They were so sweet and lovely, and I had a wonderful time reading them. Seeing Maggie as a grown-up was very interesting as well, I could appreciate some things that in the original novel we cannot see because she is very young. I also enjoyed meeting a funnier version of Edward and a nice guitar player named Brandon... how lucky Marianne was!

With Love, from Emma - Cecilia Gray

All Emma Gold needs is just a little encouragement to understand her real feelings towards Lance Knightley. There is nothing better than a wedding at Christmas to decide if her heart is worth listening to...

Oh, my! The chemistry between Emma and Lance!! There were sparkles everywhere! I loved the writing style (I must read a book by Ms. Gray as soon as I can) and I loved how the past and the present were mixed in a fantastic way. The outcome was great! Lance was irresistible and Emma was adorable, hence the couple was perfect, I could not have asked for more. The story was funny and engaging and I found myself wanting it to be endless. Another favourite. Wonderful job, Ms. Gray!

It’s a Wonderful Latte - Jessica Grey

Evie St. Laurent needs help. And what can be more helpful to her than an encounter with her favourite writer? The magic of Christmas will bring Miss Jane Austen (yes, the one and only!) to the coffee shop where Evie works, Mansfield Perk, and will help her understand who her true love is...

This story was so cute!! One of my favourites! I know I have said that three times, but believe me when I say that Evie’s adventure made me see “Mansfield Park” in a different way, and maybe I hate Edmund Bertram a little less. Plus, we meet the real Jane Austen at Mansfield Perk! How amazing! By the way, a place like that should really exist!

Pride & Presents - Kimberly Truesdale

It is Christmastime at Longbourn Community Center, and while the Bennet family is busy planning the best Christmas ever, someone is plotting to ruin their happiness...

*Sigh* No matter what happens, Darcy will always be my favourite hero! In this story he was wonderful... as usual. All the characters had something special that connected them to the original ones, and I loved the idea of turning Charles Bingley into a basketball star. The relationship between Liz and her father was beautiful as well, and I liked seeing a less shallow Lydia.

A delightful and fascinating read that every Janeite should own. Endearing characters and beautiful plots for a book that will enthral you all. I highly recommend it!

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally getting around to this cute, heartwarming collection by several talented Austenesque authors. Love how they are all writing in the same modern universe and featuring a different Jane Austen novel for the holidays.

The Work of an Instant by Jennifer Becton
A little Christmas magic for Dr. Anne Elliot when her one and only returns into her life. Would she choose differently than before? Now's her chance to find out.

Mischief and Mistletoe by Melissa Buell
Catie Morland has the opportunity to design and make the Dickens Festival costumes, meet a charming guy and make friends on her first time away from home. It's not all holiday fun, however, when a misunderstanding leads to trouble for this fanciful girl.

A Tale of Three Christmases by Rebecca Fleming
Through Margaret's eyes, she watches and shares with the magical diary her late father left her about her sisters, love, and her own coming of age. John and Franny come to Norland and the Dashwoods move to Barton. But Christmas works its wiles on the family.

With Love, From Emma by Cecilia Gray
A modern-day matchmaking beekeeping flowershop owner flails at matching her friends during her best friend's wedding while finally having her own eyes opened about the hottie bar owner who knows her better than she knows herself.

It's A Wonderful Latte by Jessica Grey
Evie St. Laurent, Mansfield Perk coffee shop manager hosts a very important customer who teachers her to look around and see what she's been missing. Meanwhile, her friend Frank is acting strange and resentful toward the hot Piper siblings.

Pride and Presents by Kimberly Truesdale
Liz and her family run a community center that may be in trouble when the paperwork goes missing, Santa is AWOL, and the children are sick. Will the man she thought as Scrooge come to the rescue?

Fun times reading these light, heartwarming novellas retelling Jane Austen's well-beloved stories set during the Christmas holiday season. Each author's voice and their creative twist made it fun to turn the pages and enjoy to the end. Every town should have a Mansfield Perk Coffee Shop, a fancy clothes designer like Catie, a gift shop like Emma's, an architect like Brandon, and a Bennet run community center.

[Anna]

Holidays with Jane: Christmas Cheer is a collection of six Christmas-themed stories based on each of Jane Austen’s novels.

“The Work of an Instant” by Jennifer Becton (based on Persuasion)

An oddly dressed Santa working in the Mansfield Perk coffee shop informs Dr. Anne Elliot that she will receive her Christmas wish just before her old flame, Lieutenant Commander Frederick Wentworth waltzes in, apparently on leave from the USS Kellynch. Her nurse friend Louisa pounces immediately, but could a Christmas ball and some Christmas magic reunite Anne and Frederick after so many years apart?

“Mischief and Mistletoe” by Melissa Buell (based on Northanger Abbey)

Pastor’s daughter and aspiring fashion designer Catherine Morland gets a chance to spread her wings when she is offered a job making new costumes for the annual Dickens’ Christmas Festival in Santa Barbara. Cate is over the moon when she meets Henry Tilney, but she worries that a misunderstanding of her situation could alter his feelings for her.

“A Tale of Three Christmases” by Rebecca M. Fleming (based on Sense and Sensibility)

The lives of the Dashwood sisters are in chaos following the death of their father. The youngest, Maggie, finds solace in her writing, and a thoughtful gift from her father and a bit of Christmas magic help her navigate the family and romantic dramas over a period of three years.

“With Love, from Emma” by Cecilia Gray (based on Emma)

Emma Gold may not have any family to keep her company during the holidays, but she takes comfort in her matchmaking abilities. However, she fears her efforts to pair up members of the bridal party at her best friend’s wedding may have gone awry amid her confusing feelings for and competitive banter with Lance Knightley, whose bar is next to her flower shop and whose kiss under the mistletoe she can’t forget.

“It’s a Wonderful Latte” by Jessica Grey (based on Mansfield Park)

Mansfield Perk manager Evie and her best friend Frank find themselves at odds when the Piper siblings solicit their help for a fundraiser. Not sure what to do about her new relationship-going-nowhere and her complicated feelings for Frank, Evie needs the help of Jane Austen herself, who uses a bit of Christmas magic to help Evie realize love (and the real meaning of the novel Mansfield Park).

“Pride & Presents” by Kimberly Truesdale (based on Pride and Prejudice)

Liz Bennet is ready to take the reins at the Longbourn Community Center and enable her father to retire. She hopes for a Christmas to remember, with the help of basketball star Charles Bingley. Meanwhile, his lawyer friend Will Darcy has Liz all out of sorts, and he certainly made a bad first impression, so when he asks her out, she is shocked and turns him down. And then the fantastic Christmas she has planned for the children starts to crumble, along with her family’s grasp on Longbourn, and Liz must swallow her pride and realize she may not be such a good judge of character after all.

As with Holidays with Jane: Trick or Sweet, I enjoyed all of the stories in this collection, and again, I loved how they were connected in little ways, through the Mansfield Perk coffee shop and Cate’s Creations. In fact, this time it’s too hard for me to choose a favorite story! I also love how these are modern takes on Austen’s novels and how they aren’t straight retellings, and even though the stories are short, I was satisfied with all of the endings.

Review posted on Diary of an Eccentric

[Candy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Holidays with Jane! All six of Jane Austen’s books are represented in these modern retellings! I found each to be very well written; short, but complete. It is so perfect for the holiday season, when you’re busy and really don’t have time to get involved in a full novel. I could curl up on my couch and read a story without worrying about staying up too late! Six modern retellings all wrapped up in a neat little package!

The Work of an Instant by Jennifer Becton is perfect!! LOVED it! In this Persuasion retelling, Ms. Becton did an excellent job modernizing Captain Wentworth’s letter! **sigh**

Mischief and Mistletoe by Melissa Buell is a retelling of Northanger Abbey. Ms.Buell did a fabulous job dropping this into a modern setting as well. Cate (Catherine) is a seamstress in this version. As someone who sews, her creativity made me want to get out my needle and thread and do a little sewing myself!

A Tale of Three Christmases by Rebecca M. Fleming is a touching story that is beautifully written. A retelling of Sense and Sensibility, it is told from Maggie's (Margaret Dashwood) POV. After the death of her father she finds a journal left to her by him with instructions to write down the events of the next three Christmases. It was beautiful!

With Love, From Emma by Cecilia Gray, gave me the warm fuzzies!! Loved it! This, of course, is Emma and Lance's (Mr. Knightley) story. I enjoyed it as Emma reflects back through the past year, remembering different holidays, ending at Christmas. This is a sigh-worthy story, and I savored it for a day or two in my mind!

It’s a Wonderful Latte by Jessica Grey, is a retelling of Mansfield Park. Ms. Grey goes into a different direction when she does a little gender swapping, making Edmund a female character named Evie, who can’t see the love of a good friend (in this case, it’s not her cousin). It’s fun and magical as Jane Austen herself appears in this story!

Pride and Presents by Kimberly Truesdale. Ooh! I love Darcy in this one! Ms. Truesdale did an excellent job bring this to the present day, and when Elizabeth and Darcy finally get together...hhmmm....well, I got that warm fuzzy feeling all over, again! Lovely!

I really enjoyed how there are a few threads connecting each story in a small way. For example, you can find the characters from all the stories enjoying a cup of coffee from Mansfield Perk! You’ll also find Cate’s Creations being worn by a few of the ladies throughout the book.

I loved Holidays with Jane! They are all cleverly done! I can’t tell you which story I loved most…I kind of fell in love with ALL of them! This is a must have for any Janeite!


FTC Disclaimer: I received an e-copy of the story from one of the authors for my honest review.

[Sheila Majczan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazon can't count - they post that this book got four "5-star" reviews while I count 5.

This was such a lovely set of short stories to read just before Christmas, and it was on sale!

Several other reviews and the book description give very good synopsis of each story. I loved the connection with each of Jane Austen's books as told by "new-to-me" authors. They did a superb job of telling modern day Christmas stories with new ideas for the lead characters...even a gender swap in one case! And it was fun reading of how Mansfield Perk played a part in each story. I had to laugh at the allusion to how it competed with the "Big S" having been to Seattle WA and spying one of those shops on just about every corner!

This was a perfect read in my favorite genre for the busy holidays. I am sure I will pull it up again next Christmas.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a non-lover of modern JAFF, these short stories are a fun little Christmas inspired taste. They aren't so long that they bog you down with the modern speech (and soon to be dated technology, fashion & pop culture references). They are well written, and despite being written by different authors there are fun little common threads linking the stories. My favourite is the S&S story!

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall rating: 3 stars
Overall thoughts: I think I enjoyed the Northanger Abbey story the best. It followed the source material best and was overall really cute. I also enjoyed the Sense and Sensibility one but the others were just okay. And I feel like all the stories could use more Christmas.

The Work of an Instant (Persuasion): — 2 stars

Definitely the work of an instant! Persuasion is known for its pining and some angst, but there really wasn’t any of that. Frederick came back and that was basically that.

Mischief and Mistletoe (Northanger Abbey): — 4 stars

I thought this was a fun retelling and the author modernized Austen’s work quite well. I loved Henry Tinley and the Thorpes were as boorish as ever. I also liked that Catherine found some agency for herself.

A Tale of Three Christmases (Sense & Sensibility): — 4 stars

Having the youngest daughter Margaret (Maggie) tell the story was an interesting take for this retelling. I liked seeing Marianne and Ellie through her eyes. Definitely a unique retelling for sure.

With Love, From Emma (Emma): — 2.5 stars

This just didn’t feel like Emma to me. She didn’t do much matchmaking, and seemed more desperate than Austen’s character. And almost nothing was made of Elton, Frank Churchill or Emma’s friendship with Harriet.

It’s a Wonderful Latte (Mansfield Park) — 2 stars

This was an odd one with Jane Austen herself as a character. I guess Mansfield Park would be hard to retell but I just didn’t enjoy the fantastical element with this one.

Pride & Presents (Pride and Prejudice) — 1.5 stars

I think I’m the harshest on P&P retellings, but I didn’t like Liz in this one. The Wickham thing was weird and Mr Collins didn’t fit right either.

[Marcie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Get into the holiday spirit with Jane Austen. Holidays With Jane contains six new stories about Jane's beloved characters set in modern time. Each author tackles a different JA novel and gives it holiday flare.

Jennifer Becton begins this book with the characters of Persuasion in The Work of an Instant. Persuasion is my favorite JA book, so I hoped upon hoped that Jennifer Becton would get it right. Spoiler Alert: She did! I've read a few of Jennifer Becton's books, so I knew she wouldn't disappoint me. Also, who can resist a man in uniform?

The next story is by Melissa Buell. She tackles Northanger Abbey with her short story, Mischief and Mistletoe. I've also read a few books by Melissa, so I looked forward to reading this story as well. She didn't disappoint me either, though I do wish the story was longer because I couldn't get enough. Cate is a designer in this story and there is plenty of mischief to go around.

Next is A Tale of Three Christmases by Rebecca Fleming. Fleming is a new-to-me author and I enjoyed this little introduction. She tackles Sense and Sensibility. One of the things I like most about this story is that it's told from Margaret's point of view. It was unexpected and it totally worked.

The fourth story is With Love, From Emma by Cecelia Gray. Poor Emma is unlucky in love, but will she finally see what's in front of her eyes during the holidays? This is a cute story based on Emma. I loved the chemistry between Emma and Lance. It's also my first by this author.

The fifth story is It's a Wonderful Latte. Not only does this story have a great title, but most of it takes place in a coffee shop, and well, that's like Disneyland for me. It also has a special guest star in it that will make you smile. And of course, it's a Mansfield Park retelling. Also the name of the coffee shop is Mansfield Perk and it has Jane Austen inspired drinks. Too cute!

Last but not least is Pride & Presents by Kimberly Truesdale. And if you can't guess what JA book this is from then I shall think you a simpleton. Kimberly takes Lizzy and Darcy and gives them a modern twist, yet they still have all the misunderstandings that we love. Will Darcy redeem himself? You know he will, and you'll fall in love with him all over again.

I honestly can't tell you what story I like the best because I like them all but for different reasons. One thing I especially liked is that certain elements appeared in each story. It made the six individual stories seem like one collective one. This is a great book to cuddle up to this Christmas.

Read more at http://www.toreadornottoread.net/2014...

[Carole (in Canada) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightful modern collection of short stories based on Jane Austen's novels. During this busy holiday season of decorating, shopping, wrapping and get togethers, I was able to get my Jane Austen fix by reading one or two stories an evening.

Each story had two common threads running through them. For me, this united each of the stories. All were unique and some were wonderfully 'magical'. The journey for each of our characters were moving and well developed. Well done ladies, well done indeed!

I highly recommend this anthology!

[Noel · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED!! Fun short stories, based on different Austen novels, in different ways. Highly recommend for some fun holiday reading!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed each short story, especially the Latte one!

[J. W. Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Six authors and six modern day Christmas adaptations of Austen’s novels.

I decided to read Christmas stories during the month of December and this was a delightful pastime. The stories were short, clean, held fairly close to Austen’s intend if not close to canon. There were liberties taken, but the tone was Austenesque. Do take note of a certain thread throughout the stories that created a common link between the stories. A certain coffee shop and a certain online clothing enterprise sort of pops up throughout the stories. It is so cute to run into it and see how each author incorporated it into their story. It had to be planned. I think it was so cute that they decided to do it.

1) The Work of An Instant: Jennifer Becton: ends at 14%
This was a variation of Persuasion where we have many of the characters from that book presented in different ways. This was set in a modern-day Christmas season with a Santa that seemed to be everywhere and there was something a little bit different about him. This was military themed, NAVY in particular for those who are military minded. Wentworth was a superior officer and man… was he ever swoon worthy, especially in his dress whites.

2) Mischief and Mistletoe: Melissa Buell: ends at 32%
This modern variation of Northanger Abbey was delightful. I loved Catherine Morland, Mr. and Mrs. Allen, Eleanor and Henry Tilney. The villains were consistent to their characters in canon… Isabella and John Thorpe, Frederick and General Tilney. Note: General Tilney went to a conference of retired Naval Personnel. However, the Navy does not have the rank of General, the equivalent would be Admiral. That was not made clear in the text. The tone followed canon even in its modern rendition. It was cute.

3) A Tale of Three Christmases: Rebecca M. Fleming: ends at 42%
The next variation was of Sense & Sensibility with the Dashwood family as they endure the passing of their father. I have to say; a reader would need prior knowledge of the S&S story in order to understand what was going on. Due to the short-story length, the drama moved quickly and the barest of information was given, causing it to come across as disjointed and confusing.

The story covered a three-year period of time as it described three Christmases through the POV of Maggie, the younger Dashwood sister. Surprisingly there were threads that were common to the previous stories and I found those delightful. We had the usual cast of characters and villains. We had John and Fanny Dashwood taking over Norland after the death of his father. Lucie Steele visited and caused trouble… and she was a piece of work. Then we had the Ferrars brothers, Robert and Edward. Wills [Willoughby] was more evil than canon, if you can imagine that. There was a delightful play on words for names… such as Brandon Delaford. It was so charming the way the author played with the canon story and characters.

4) With Love, From Emma by Cecilia Gray: ends at 63%
This was a delightful modern Emma. I loved Lance, the Mr. Knightley character. We have the usual matchmaking that results in a West and Taylor hook up, only that was their first names. Lance and Emma fight or joust throughout the story, like in canon. Harriet and Elton factor into the story with Emma misunderstanding the feelings and attractions of both, which catches her completely by surprise. As in canon I love the scene where Lance [Mr. Knightley] tells Emma he does not wish to be her friend. Oh, be still my heart.

I love the continuation of that common thread that runs through all the stories linking them in a really charming way. It solidifies the connection of community and it left the reader with a feeling of joy and surprise when those names were mentioned.

5) It’s a Wonderful Latte by Jessica Grey: ends at 79%
This was a very strange mash-up of ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ and ‘Mansfield Park.’ In this story, similar to the angel Clarence, who was sent back to earth to help George Bailey, Jane Austen was sent back on assignment to help our heroin Evie with life issues of her own. It was just a bit weird for me and I found it difficult to follow. We had references to Mansfield Park and the characters of Fannie and Edmund. We also had a too smooth brother and sister act similar to the Crawfords.
Once again, I ran across those threads that are common to all the stories that keep popping up and are so cute.

6) Pride and Presents by Kimberly Truesdale: ends at 98%
This Pride and Prejudice retelling had the Bennet family owning and working at a non-profit Community Center for children and their families. All the P&P characters are present with a few ethnic changes that make for a different story. The basic personalities and traits are intact and our story moves forward on the same threads that pushed our story in canon. Collins and Wickham are still the same villainous miscreants with evil intent. Wickham tells lies to garner the sympathy and acceptance of the Bennet family. He successfully convinces Lydia to allow him into the office where he steals paperwork necessary to their keeping the center. We also know what will happen when Darcy finds out.
Those common threads continue through this story as well. It is so cute to find them in the text.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perfect for the avid Janeite, this is a collection of six stories all based on Jane Austen's novels--five modern re-tellings and the sixth an adaptation / play on both Mansfield Park and It's a Wonderful Life. I especially enjoyed the little details that linked the stories into one universe. I tend to prefer adaptations of Austen's novels (Clueless!) rather than retellings, and Jessica Grey's "It's a Wonderful Latte" was my favorite of this collection, but other Jane Austen lovers will find plenty to enjoy!

[Morghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was super fun! I love modern adaptations of Austen's novels, and I love Christmas stories so this was a total win for me. The Emma and Persuasion stories were my favorite...I was slightly disappointed in the P&p story, but other than that, this book was great!

[Jess Swann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alors avant de commencer, je vais vous donner mon avis sur chaque histoire....

* The Work of an Instant, Jennifer Becton : When Frederick Wentworth's ship docks at the Navy base in Charleston just in time for Christmas, Anne Elliot feels torn between desire to see her former fiancé and fear of rejection. Will taking a risk end in humiliation or give Anne a second chance with her first love? To find out, all she has to do is turn around and face him.

Une réécriture moderne et abrégée de Persuasion... J'avoue que la plume de Jennifer Becton m'a un peu déçue sur ce coup, j'ai trouvé le ressort vœu de Noël un peu facile et je n'ai pas spécialement apprécié la nouvelle distribution des personnages... Bref, c'est mignon mais facilement oubliable
Ma note : 5/10

* Mischief and Mistletoe, Melissa Buell: Thrifty designer and secret Gothic novel enthusiast Cate Morland gets the opportunity of a lifetime to plan the costumes for the upcoming Dickens' Christmas Festival. There she meets Henry Tilney who shows an interest in more than Cate's costume designs. Mistaken by Henry's father as a rich heiress, Cate is invited to stay with the Tilney family at their estate. Will Henry feel the same for Cate once he discovers she is a seamstress paying her own way through design school?

Cette fois c'est Northanger Abbey qui est à l'honneur... Je dois dire que j'ai été très déçue par cette version, je l'ai trouvé expéditive et je n'ai pas aimé la relation de Cate & Isabella qui ne traduit pas du tout l'esprit du livre original. Pour autant, c'était correctement écrit et j'ai aimé la fin
Ma note : 4,5/10

* A Tale of Three Christmases, Rebecca M. Fleming : When their father dies, leaving their brother everything, life changes radically for the Dashwood girls. Librarian Ellie and musician Marianne have their work of course, but what about teenage Maggie? Maggie only has her writing—a surprising saving grace that helps her chronicle the ups and downs of life, love and family in this tale of three Christmases.

Une version moderne de Sense & Sensibility qui se centre sur le personnage de Margaret. J'ai beaucoup aimé le point de vue de l'auteure. Marianne est ici présentée comme une sorte d'hystérique ( ce qui n'est pas faux) et Margaret n'a pas forcément d'idées préconçues sur Fanny ^^ Et ça j'ai aimé. C'était original et bien mené
Ma note : 7/10

* With Love, from Emma, Cecilia Gray : A visit to Emma Gold's flower shop can save a relationship but a date at Lance Knightley's bar can take that relationship to the next level, so who should be considered Heartfield, Oregon's resident romance expert? Emma and Lance square off at their best friends' wedding to settle the score. Sparks fly as bets are made and favors are won in this contemporary Christmas retelling, recounted With Love, from Emma.

Version moderne d'Emma. J'ai globalement bien aimé, surtout la relation d'Emma et de Lance. Néanmoins, le tout était trop abrégé et il m'a manqué plein de choses (Mr Woodhouse, Jane...) Dommage
Ma note : 5/10

* It's a Wonderful Latte, Jessica Grey: Evie St. Laurent can always count on three things: being single during Christmas in Los Angeles, her job as manager at Mansfield Perk, and Frank Nakatomi, her best friend and coworker, cheering her up when she's down. But when the glamorous Piper siblings come to town and sweep everyone off their feet, what Evie thought was sure in her life starts slipping away. It will take some Christmas magic and the help of a very special angel named Jane to help Evie see that the love she's been waiting for has been there all the time.

Alors ... version moderne de Mansfield Park assez réussie (même si l'idée de faire revenir Jane Austen dans notre monde, me laisse à la fois ravie et perplexe). J'ai apprécié l'analyse des personnages de Mansfield Park et des autres romans mais Evie m'a laissée de marbre
Ma note : 5/10

* Pride & Presents, Kimberly Truesdale : Liz Bennet wants to make this Christmas the best that Longbourn Community Center has ever had. When basketball superstar Charles Bingley shows up to volunteer, it looks like that just might happen—even in spite of his unhelpful friend Will Darcy. But when everything starts to go wrong and Longbourn itself is in danger, Liz must set aside her pride and ask for help. Then she'll discover that the best presents are the ones you never expect.

La dernière histoire... Je suis mitigée, j'ai aimé l'essentiel : Liz/Darcy. Mais faire de Bingley un champion de basket, de Wickham une petite frappe et de Lydia une fille qui apprend de ses erreurs... trop pour moi !
Ma note : 5/10

Ce que j'aime : le fait que toutes les histoires soient liées entre elles, on retrouve les mêmes personnages et c'est très sympa. La bonne humeur ambiante

Ce que j'aime moins : les idées sont bonnes mais pas assez poussées ce qui fait que je suis restée sur ma fin dans la plupart des cas.

En bref : Un recueil gentillet pour les fêtes qui se lit facilement, les grandes lignes des romans sont respectées mais ce n'est pas assez approfondi pour mon gout. Cependant, j'ai passé un bon moment de lecture

Ma note

5/10

[Ela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am reviewing the stories separately and my notes may contain spoilers:

The Work of an Instant (a "Persuasion" story by Jennifer Becton)
3,5/5 stars
Wishes do come true in Christmas time and Dr. Anne Elliot gets her second chance with Frederick Wentworth with whom she broke off the engagement seven years prior. The ending in which the couple first got together in a "what if" scene arranged by a Camo Santa, so they could get together for real felt a bit odd to me. Maybe because while I don't doubt that Camo Santa's magical intervention sped things up, Anne and Frederick would get together again regardless of it. A nice story nevertheless.

Mischief and Mistletoe (a "Northanger Abbey" story by Melissa Buell)
3,5/5 stars
Cate Morland as a shy fashion designer who is hired to make costumes for a theatre play? Count me in! I loved how Cate's book obsession was translated to the modern setting: a movie adaptation of her favorite book was filmed at Northanger Estate - thus her fascination with the place. I liked that the author kept Cate's devotion for her family and her reunion with Henry was cute. I can't say the story made my heart flutter like some of the others did though.

A Tale of Three Christmases (a "Sense and Sensibility" story by Rebecca M. Fleming)
4/5 stars
One of my favorites from the collection. Maggie, the youngest Dashwood sister, finally gets the spotlight she deserves and for three Christmases records the occurrences in her family in a magical book left to her by her late father. Seeing Elinor and Marianne and their respective relationships from the outsider's perspective was more fun than I would have expected.

With Love, from Emma (an "Emma" story by Cecilia Gray)
4/5 stars
Emma is the queen bee and a literal beekeeper - as well as a florist. Lance Knightley is a bar-owner and Emma's friend. He is more open about his intentions toward Emma than his book counterpart, he constantly flirts and teases her and she doesn't know what to make up from it. I loved their dynamics, their arguments and the ending was just perfect.

It's a Wonderful Latte (a "Mansfield Park" story by Jessica Grey)
5/5 stars
I am starting to think that Jessica Grey has a thing for popculture references - not to mention for classic authors. Jane Austen herself steps in to help Evie and Frank to achieve their happy ending in a gender-bended revision of Mansfield Park. And I loved every page of it! I mean, not so much the romance itself but Jane. Jane Austen alive and talking about her books, her opinions on Brontë sisters and Lucy Maud Montgomery, her small bickerings with Samuel Clemens...it was all just too precious.

Pride and Presents (a "Pride and Prejudice" story by Kimberly Truesdale)
3/5 stars
Liz Bennet wants to prove to her father that she is completely capable to take over their Longbourn Community Center. If only Mr. Collins didn't join forces with that wicked George Wickham to sabotage her hard work! Thank goodness for that surly Will Darcy who intervines just in time to save her day and the community center. Hurray! I didn't quite feel the chemistry between the main couple but I liked the ending with Darcy coming in Santa's costume and saving everything.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would never dare to refer to myself as a Janeite. I couldn't tell you the plot of Sense & Sensibility to save my soul (other than Hugh Grant is sort of a dick and Snape is in it). And I have no desire to read Mansfield Park. Yet, I enjoyed the movie which I think makes me a heretic. So, I've got that going for me.

HOWEVER, I'm a sucker for a good short story anthology and a wee bit of Christmas Cheer. I found Holidays with Jane: Christmas Cheer to be an approachable set of stories for even the likes of me.

Mini reviews, here we go!

The Work of an Instant by Jennifer Becton:
Holy time travel, Batman!
Wentworth = YES, have some.

Mischief and Mistletoe by Melissa Buell:
Milk + Ice = Hell to the NO.
Henry = want-to-eat-your-face

A Tale of Three Christmases by Rebecca M. Fleming:
It's the Ghost of Christmas Past, Charlie Brown!
Edward = AH-dorkable.

With Love, From Emma by Cecila Gray:
I might've read this story two or three times.
This might've been a thing that happened.
Lance Knightly = SWA-OON
Shoulder Petting = SLAYED

It's a Wonderful Latte by Jessica Grey:
Gender Swap + Feisty Jane = OH SNAP
Frank = want-to-pet-your-tats

Pride and Presents by Kimberly Truesdale;
Hell-O Darcy Claus!
Darcy = hohoNOMMY

If I HAD to pick a favorite it would be With Love, From Emma. Did I mention the swooning?

Overall, I enjoyed each of the stories and the little details that linked them all together. I'd rate this a 3.5. Since thus far, I've given every book I've read this year a 3.5 and then rated it a 3 Imma gonna bump this one up to a 4. Because I can. BOOM. *drops mic, walks off stage*

[Nell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet collection. Some stories were stronger than others, but It's a Wonderful Latte and Pride and Presents were particularly good.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely bunch of holiday tales filled with Jane-gels and a swoon-worthy Knightly.

[Jennifer Abella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really fun read!

[victoria_tonks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection is my third in the series (I have not been reading them in order) and it was just as enjoyable as the other two I have read. The reason I love these modern Austen retellings so much is that there is an infinite number of possibilities of adapting the source material, so you get two in one - the story you love and an entirely new, often thrilling and refresing perspective. My favourites in this part were A Tale of Three Christmases (S&S; I loved everything in this one, from the title to the unexpected but surprisingly great narrator), and, as I see is the case with many other readers here, It's a Wonderful Latte (MP, with a great twist and an absolutely delightful idea of the story as a Very Special Someone's assignment). I am very happy I still have three more parts to read.

[Carmen8094 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holidays with Jane - Christmas cheer è una raccolta di sei racconti a tema natalizio che riprendono i romanzi di Jane Austen.

- The work of an instant è basato su Persuasione. Era la storia che volevo leggere più di ogni altra, ma purtroppo è stata anche quella che mi è piaciuta meno.
In questo adattamento, Anne è un medico in una base navale, le più giovani Henrietta e Louisa sono delle infermiere, e il Capitano Wentworth... un Capitano. Il setting mi è piaciuto molto, così come la caratterizzazione del personaggio di Anne, tuttavia la relazione tra i due protagonisti al ballo è cambiata troppo repentinamente, e il tocco di magia inserito alla fine non ha migliorato le cose. 2/5

- Mischief and mistletoe si rifà a Northanger Abbey. Anche in questo caso ho apprezzato la caratterizzazione della protagonista, Cate, una ragazza entusiasta della vita, un po' ingenua, con tante speranze per il futuro. Il fatto di renderla una appassionata di moda e una talentuosa sarta che dà nuova vita ad abiti da sera usati è un'idea originale, tuttavia, forse complice il fatto di non aver mai trovato molto stimolante Northanger Abbey, qui e lì il racconto mi ha annoiato. Per fortuna ai Thorpe non è stato dedicato molto spazio. 3/5

- A tale of three Christmases è la storia che mi è piaciuta di più. In essa la giovane Maggie di Ragione e sentimento trova un diario lasciatole dal padre, in cui il defunto genitore le chiede di raccontare le festività natalizie di quell'anno e dei due successivi. Tutti i personaggi, anche quelli secondari, sono molto ben caratterizzati. Il fatto di poter narrare solo brevemente gli eventi occorsi durante l'anno - a causa del numero limitato di pagine del diario - fa sì che la storia non venga appesantita troppo da quelli, come l'incontro di Marianne con Willoughby, la loro relazione e la successiva rottura, che avrebbero richiesto troppo spazio e sarebbero risultati noiosi. Mi è piaciuta molto la personalità di Maggie, tranquilla, ma vivace e osservatrice, il suo meraviglioso rapporto con il padre, il suo bisogno di ritirarsi a leggere in pace e solitudine. 4/5

- With Love, from Emma, è quasi del tutto ambientato durante il ricevimento di nozze di Taylor e West, con numerosi flashback che mi hanno leggermente infastidito, ma che si sono presto rivelati necessari per delineare il rapporto tra la protagonista e Lance, il Mister Knightley di questo racconto (chiamato come uno dei "cavalieri" della Tavola Rotonda). Il protagonista è molto sensuale, e questo inizialmente mi ha creato una leggera confusione, in quanto non mi è stato da subito chiaro che la sua personalità da dongiovanni fosse dovuta all'interpretazione di Emma, piuttosto che alla realtà. Ho trovato originale e mi è piaciuto che la protagonista avesse un negozio di fiori e articoli da regalo basato sulla sua attività di apicultrice. 4/5

- It's a wonderful latte riprende invece Mansfield Park. Ho trovato molto simpatica che la stessa Jane Austen fosse inviata in missione nel presente per aiutare la protagonista, e che fosse convocata proprio da "Mr Clemens", vero nome di quel Mark Twain che in vita non era stato proprio il miglior critico dei romanzi austeniani. La storia in sé, quella di Evie e Frank, risulta purtroppo piuttosto piatta. 3/5

- Pride and present è basato su Orgoglio e pregiudizio. Il setting è interessante: Longbourn è un centro sociale che si occupa di bambini ed è per questo sempre chiassoso e rumoroso. In occasione del Natale, la stella del basket Charles Bingley si offre di dare una mano con i preparativi, accompagnato dall'amico avvocato Darcy, che tuttavia non sembra per nulla entusiasta. Liz, nel frattempo, prende in mano le redini dell'istituzione permettendo all'anziano padre di andare in pensione, ma deve ben presto fare i conti con qualcuno che spera che la famiglia Bennet perda per sempre il centro...
Anche di questo racconto ho apprezzato l'originalità e il fatto di aver saputo rendere moderna la storia austeniana, tuttavia ho trovato Liz davvero troppo incline al pregiudizio nei confronti di Darcy, mentre l'attaccamento di questi alla protagonista mi è sembrato troppo repentino e quasi inspiegabile. 3/5

La raccolta è sicuramente piacevole, i racconti sono originali, ben scritti, e denotano la conoscenza e l'amore delle autrici per le opere di Jane Austen. Ho apprezzato che i personaggi delle varie storie fossero in qualche modo legati tra loro dal Mansfield Perk, dagli abiti creati da Cate o dai regali del negozio di Emma.
Credo, tuttavia, di aver letto troppi retelling austeniani in passato: tutti i racconti, anche quelli più piacevoli, mi hanno annoiato ad un certo punto, ed ho impiegato più tempo del necessario per terminare il volume.

http://iltesorodicarta.blogspot.com/2...

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're a fan of Jane Austen's novels, you may enjoy these 6 short stories. The authors each take one of Jane's main novels and writes a story set in modern times along the same theme as the book.

These stories are some fun, light reading and clean. Enjoy!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a fun project to be a part of, and I love reading what my co-authors come up with! :o)

[Ulrike Böhm · Rating 2 out of 5]

Langweilig, vorhersehbar, habe viele Seiten einfach überblättert. Da gibt es VIEL Besseres!

[Veronica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm breaking my Christmas rule because there's no way I'm paying for this after my Kindle Unlimited trial expires and because Christmas in July is an actual thing.

Overall, it's a cute, if a bit ambitious, anthology. It didn't feel super Christmassy, which was a little disappointing, and a lot of the stories felt rushed. They're all loosely tied together, but I think it might've been fun if they were all regulars at the same Mansfield Perk.

The Work of an Instant (Jennifer Becton) 1 star
(In case you were wondering, this story contains some language)

This was pretty disappointing. It's like Becton got rid of everything that made Persuasion great and gave us a generic story about two ex's reuniting. The story was fine but not particularly exciting, and there wasn't much of a conflict—even the reason behind the Big Break-up was kind of lame. The writing wasn't particularly noteworthy, and the dialogue would randomly become super formal. I personally didn't care for the magical Santa twist, but I guess it was needed since was essentially a pretty forgettable version of Persuasion with some Christmas magic thrown in to fit the theme. (Seriously, take out the random Santa, and this could take place any time.)



Mischief and Mistletoe (Melissa Buell) 3 stars
(In case you were wondering, this story contains some pop culture references and a mini-Taylor Swift song-fic moment)

Confession: this is the first Northanger Abbey retelling I've read ever. Despite having nothing to compare it with, I thought this was a pretty solid retelling--at least in terms of the actual story. (It's hard to modernize Gothic satire; maybe someone should make Catherine Morland a fanfiction fan...) Anyway, this version of Catherine was a homeschooled pastor's kid, and it worked surprisingly well. Her naïveté was realistic and believable. The story was a little cheesy at some points, but I low-key want a dress from Cate’s Creations which has got to count for something, right?

A Tale of Three Christmases (Rebecca Fleming) 3.5 stars

Margaret Dashwood gets her time to shine in this short story which had potential but never quiet clicked for me. It's a shame because I love the idea of an outside perspective recounting the elder Dashwood sisters' love lives, but the time skip between the three years made the story's pacing awkward. I also feel like we lost some of the emotion behind the story because we were jumping from Christmas-to-Christmas. The magical realism bit--though slight--just felt unnecessary. Christmas is a magical time, we get it guys. Now can I just have some normal mundane Christmas stories?

I did enjoy John Dashwood's mini character arc, though.

With Love, From Emma (Cecilia Gray) 1 star
(In case you were wondering, this story contains

Badly done, Cecilia. Badly done, indeed. Instead of sticking to the assignment, Cecilia Gray decided use flashbacks to pay homage to six different holidays (including St. Patrick's Day and Mother's Day) instead of just writing a Christmas story.



But seriously, the constant flashbacks were too much after a while, especially because the transition between the past and present weren't the smoothest. More importantly, Gray completely ruined Knightley by turning him into some suave LA Lothario. It was painful to read. Also, the constant Queen Bee analogies got old really quick.



I love Emma and I love Christmas (and weddings,) but this combo didn’t work for me.

It’s a Wonderful Latte (Jessica Grey) 4.5 stars
(In case you were wondering, this story contains minor language)

“The really important question is, if she’s a Jane-gel who is she here for?”
I widened my eyes. “What do you mean by ‘here for,’ like Andrew in Touched by an Angel ‘here for?’”
“Yes, Evie, you’re going to be escorted to the afterlife by Jane Austen.”

Maybe it's because I personally hate Fanny Price, but I found myself pleasantly surprised by this gender-swapped version of Mansifeld Park. There's more magical realism, but this time it wasn’t terrible. Jane Austen as the Ghost of England Past come to knock some sense into some obtuse individuals was so weird it kind of worked. This was bookish and quirky and clever and fun and way better than I expected. It was definitely one of the more memorable stories in this relatively humdrum bunch. I could've done without Evie drooling over Jake's thighs, but other than that, this was a solid retelling.

Pride & Presents (Kimberly Truesdale) 2 stars

Ending this collection with Pride & Presents is like opening the last present Christmas morning and finding socks.



There just wasn't anything special about this. The storytelling was super rushed, and it felt like a superficial rehashing of Pride and Prejudice. Truesdale relied too heavily on the reader's familiarity with the original and pretty much glossed over the story without putting any real thought into the details or development. It honestly read like something you could find on a fanfiction site. Darcy/Lizzie's relationship was kind of just thrown together and not very believable and, despite the "Night Before Christmas" lines used to break up the scenes, this just didn't put me in a really Christmassy mood.