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St. Brendan #0.5
Regency Royal Navy Christmas
Even the squared away, efficient Royal Navy must surrender to the joys and misadventures of a Regency Christmas. Four stories shine a light on Christmas during the Napoleonic Wars on land and sea –
In Boxing the Compass, a homesick frigate captain shepherding a convict convoy to Australia wants nothing more than to hold his infant daughter in faraway England. Perhaps he can enlist a prickly pair of convicts with a new baby to help him.
Wait Here for the Present, finds a spinster, chafing with boredom, helping a motherless lad get to Plymouth for Christmas with his surgeon-father. She can help, but love is the farthest thing from her mind.
In Slip #5, Captain McCulloch’s ship HMS Trident must spend a month in dry dock in Devonport. What better time to catch up on his reading? His plans are complicated by a bad cold, a good widow and her children, shy lovers, and dilemmas it seems only he can solve. Whatever happened to peace and quiet?
As a special bonus, The Christmas Angle introduces readers of the acclaimed St. Brendan Series to that unlikely genius, Sailing Master Able Six.
Readers are requested and required to come aboard for a Royal Navy holiday.
In Boxing the Compass, a homesick frigate captain shepherding a convict convoy to Australia wants nothing more than to hold his infant daughter in faraway England. Perhaps he can enlist a prickly pair of convicts with a new baby to help him.
Wait Here for the Present, finds a spinster, chafing with boredom, helping a motherless lad get to Plymouth for Christmas with his surgeon-father. She can help, but love is the farthest thing from her mind.
In Slip #5, Captain McCulloch’s ship HMS Trident must spend a month in dry dock in Devonport. What better time to catch up on his reading? His plans are complicated by a bad cold, a good widow and her children, shy lovers, and dilemmas it seems only he can solve. Whatever happened to peace and quiet?
As a special bonus, The Christmas Angle introduces readers of the acclaimed St. Brendan Series to that unlikely genius, Sailing Master Able Six.
Readers are requested and required to come aboard for a Royal Navy holiday.
300 pages, Paperback
First published October 15, 2019
59 people are currently reading
96 people want to read
About the author
Carla Kelly
137 books805 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Although Carla Kelly is well known among her readers as a writer of Regency romance, her main interest (and first writing success) is Western American fiction—more specifically, writing about America's Indian Wars. Although she had sold some of her work before, it was not until Carla began work in the National Park Service as a ranger/historian at Fort Laramie National Historic Site did she get serious about her writing career. (Or as she would be the first to admit, as serious as it gets.)
Carla wrote a series of what she now refers to as the "Fort Laramie stories," which are tales of the men, women and children of the Indian Wars era in Western history. Two of her stories, A Season for Heroes and Kathleen Flaherty's Long Winter, earned her Spur Awards from the Western Writers of America. She was the second woman to earn two Spurs from WWA (which, as everyone knows, is all you need to ride a horse). Her entire Indian Wars collection was published in 2003 as Here's to the Ladies: Stories of the Frontier Army. It remains her favorite work.
The mother of five children, Carla has always allowed her kids to earn their keep by appearing in her Regencies, most notably Marian's Christmas Wish, which is peopled by all kinds of relatives. Grown now, the Kelly kids are scattered here and there across the U.S. They continue to provide feedback, furnish fodder for stories and make frantic phone calls home during the holidays for recipes. (Carla Kelly is some cook.)
Carla's husband, Martin, is Director of Theatre at Valley City State University, in Valley City, North Dakota. Carla is currently overworked as a staff writer at the local daily newspaper. She also writes a weekly, award-winning column, "Prairie Lite."
Carla only started writing Regencies because of her interest in the Napoleonic Wars, which figures in many of her Regency novels and short stories. She specializes in writing about warfare at sea, and about the ordinary people of the British Isles who were, let's face it, far more numerous than lords and ladies.
Hobbies? She likes to crochet afghans, and read British crime fiction and history, principally military history. She's never happier than talking about the fur trade or Indian Wars with Park Service cronies. Her most recent gig with the National Park Service was at Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site on the Montana/North Dakota border.
Here's another side to this somewhat prosaic woman: She recently edited the fur trade journal of Swiss artist Rudolf F. Kurz (the 1851-1852 portion), and is gratified now and then to be asked to speak on scholarly subjects. She has also worked for the State Historical Society of North Dakota as a contract researcher. This has taken her to glamorous drudgery in several national archives and military history repositories. Gray archives boxes and old documents make her salivate.
Her mantra for writing comes from the subject of her thesis, Robert Utley, that dean of Indian Wars history. He told her the secret to writing is "to put your ass in the chair and keep it there until you're done." He's right, of course.
Her three favorite fictional works have remained constant through the years, although their rankings tend to shift: War and Peace, The Lawrenceville Stories, and A Town Like Alice. Favorite historical works are One Vast Winter Count, On the Border with Mackenzie and Crossing the Line. Favorite crime fiction authors are Michael Connelly, John Harvey and Peter Robinson.
And that's all she can think of that would interest anyone. Carla Kelly is quite ordinary, except when she is sometimes prevailed upon to sing a scurrilous song about lumberjacks, or warble "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" in Latin. Then you m
Although Carla Kelly is well known among her readers as a writer of Regency romance, her main interest (and first writing success) is Western American fiction—more specifically, writing about America's Indian Wars. Although she had sold some of her work before, it was not until Carla began work in the National Park Service as a ranger/historian at Fort Laramie National Historic Site did she get serious about her writing career. (Or as she would be the first to admit, as serious as it gets.)
Carla wrote a series of what she now refers to as the "Fort Laramie stories," which are tales of the men, women and children of the Indian Wars era in Western history. Two of her stories, A Season for Heroes and Kathleen Flaherty's Long Winter, earned her Spur Awards from the Western Writers of America. She was the second woman to earn two Spurs from WWA (which, as everyone knows, is all you need to ride a horse). Her entire Indian Wars collection was published in 2003 as Here's to the Ladies: Stories of the Frontier Army. It remains her favorite work.
The mother of five children, Carla has always allowed her kids to earn their keep by appearing in her Regencies, most notably Marian's Christmas Wish, which is peopled by all kinds of relatives. Grown now, the Kelly kids are scattered here and there across the U.S. They continue to provide feedback, furnish fodder for stories and make frantic phone calls home during the holidays for recipes. (Carla Kelly is some cook.)
Carla's husband, Martin, is Director of Theatre at Valley City State University, in Valley City, North Dakota. Carla is currently overworked as a staff writer at the local daily newspaper. She also writes a weekly, award-winning column, "Prairie Lite."
Carla only started writing Regencies because of her interest in the Napoleonic Wars, which figures in many of her Regency novels and short stories. She specializes in writing about warfare at sea, and about the ordinary people of the British Isles who were, let's face it, far more numerous than lords and ladies.
Hobbies? She likes to crochet afghans, and read British crime fiction and history, principally military history. She's never happier than talking about the fur trade or Indian Wars with Park Service cronies. Her most recent gig with the National Park Service was at Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site on the Montana/North Dakota border.
Here's another side to this somewhat prosaic woman: She recently edited the fur trade journal of Swiss artist Rudolf F. Kurz (the 1851-1852 portion), and is gratified now and then to be asked to speak on scholarly subjects. She has also worked for the State Historical Society of North Dakota as a contract researcher. This has taken her to glamorous drudgery in several national archives and military history repositories. Gray archives boxes and old documents make her salivate.
Her mantra for writing comes from the subject of her thesis, Robert Utley, that dean of Indian Wars history. He told her the secret to writing is "to put your ass in the chair and keep it there until you're done." He's right, of course.
Her three favorite fictional works have remained constant through the years, although their rankings tend to shift: War and Peace, The Lawrenceville Stories, and A Town Like Alice. Favorite historical works are One Vast Winter Count, On the Border with Mackenzie and Crossing the Line. Favorite crime fiction authors are Michael Connelly, John Harvey and Peter Robinson.
And that's all she can think of that would interest anyone. Carla Kelly is quite ordinary, except when she is sometimes prevailed upon to sing a scurrilous song about lumberjacks, or warble "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" in Latin. Then you m
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
October 14, 2023
As any of my GR friends know, I am a fan of Mrs. Kelly. For the most part, these short stories take place prior to the Regency period and, in most cases, cover only a few days.
Her romances are earthy for lack of a better word. The author pulls no punches. You won't find the most beautiful heroines except in the eyes and hearts of the heros.
What I liked best about these novellas is Ms. Kelly made me believe in the 'happy ever after' with each story.
Her romances are earthy for lack of a better word. The author pulls no punches. You won't find the most beautiful heroines except in the eyes and hearts of the heros.
What I liked best about these novellas is Ms. Kelly made me believe in the 'happy ever after' with each story.
November 19, 2019
Carla Kelly knows her craft. I trust what she shares about the Royal Navy of the early 19th century, because I trust her commitment to authenticity. And that is important, because the Royal Navy permeates each of the short stories in this most recent Kelly Christmas anthology.
Carla Kelly not only knows her craft, she excels at it. Her stories reflect a further committment - that of providing her readers with prose that soothes and beguiles, demonstrating her ever-improving capacity as a disciplined and well-read author, with fine eye for accuracy, as well as superior editing skills.
Kelly seldom disappoints me as a story-teller. Even when her themes (of the quiet, stoic, courageous Navy man who meets and loves a strong, loyal and loving woman) are repeated and repeated, she manages to make each love story sufficiently unique that I am (almost) always enchanted.
I’m an avid fan of Kelly. She is an automatic pre-order for me. And I always search for her newest Christmas anthology each year. And I always pay for it, because I don’t want to feel obliged to review it. So I’m happy to report that this one is another Kelly gem. (And not just because of the fabulous Able Six story, which I’ve read previously, but the new ones.)
Thanks to Ms Kelly for sharing her world view with us - that, even during the worst of times (the degradations of war, the violence and killing, or even the abandonment of a child and brutality of the workhouses) our lives can be elevated by compassion (for our own errors, for our limitations and even for the “undeserving poor”) and also enriched by love - generous, platonic love, familial love, love for strangers and, of course, romantic, lusty love.
Happy Christmas 2019.
Carla Kelly not only knows her craft, she excels at it. Her stories reflect a further committment - that of providing her readers with prose that soothes and beguiles, demonstrating her ever-improving capacity as a disciplined and well-read author, with fine eye for accuracy, as well as superior editing skills.
Kelly seldom disappoints me as a story-teller. Even when her themes (of the quiet, stoic, courageous Navy man who meets and loves a strong, loyal and loving woman) are repeated and repeated, she manages to make each love story sufficiently unique that I am (almost) always enchanted.
I’m an avid fan of Kelly. She is an automatic pre-order for me. And I always search for her newest Christmas anthology each year. And I always pay for it, because I don’t want to feel obliged to review it. So I’m happy to report that this one is another Kelly gem. (And not just because of the fabulous Able Six story, which I’ve read previously, but the new ones.)
Thanks to Ms Kelly for sharing her world view with us - that, even during the worst of times (the degradations of war, the violence and killing, or even the abandonment of a child and brutality of the workhouses) our lives can be elevated by compassion (for our own errors, for our limitations and even for the “undeserving poor”) and also enriched by love - generous, platonic love, familial love, love for strangers and, of course, romantic, lusty love.
Happy Christmas 2019.
February 29, 2020
Christmas in February! Three lovely Royal Navy novellas
Carla Kelly is one of my favorites historical romance writers and I especially love her Royal Navy heroes.
In this book we meet: (1) an exhausted surgeon and a lovely spinster who brought his son to meet him; (2) a lonely captain and the woman who is actually supervising the fixing of his ship; and (3) a genius sailing master, originally an orphan in a workhouse, who meets a sensible and lovely gentlewoman while teaching math to her nephews.
All stories are wonderful, full of insight and emotion. These stories took me to a happy place. Her characters are so lovely I want to befriend them, I want to strive to be as good and honorable as them.
Just lovely 💕📚
Carla Kelly is one of my favorites historical romance writers and I especially love her Royal Navy heroes.
In this book we meet: (1) an exhausted surgeon and a lovely spinster who brought his son to meet him; (2) a lonely captain and the woman who is actually supervising the fixing of his ship; and (3) a genius sailing master, originally an orphan in a workhouse, who meets a sensible and lovely gentlewoman while teaching math to her nephews.
All stories are wonderful, full of insight and emotion. These stories took me to a happy place. Her characters are so lovely I want to befriend them, I want to strive to be as good and honorable as them.
Just lovely 💕📚
May 5, 2021
Ms Kelly wrote 4 short stories, all involving Royal Navy
(RNavy) men. All heart-warming.
(1) a RNavy Captain's daughter was born at home, while
he was at sea. He missed his family. He did a wrongly
accused man & his family a huge favor.
(2) involved an exhausted (widowed) RNavy surgeon, his
son & a spinster. The heroine transported son to his Da
& then volunteered to help @ the hospital in small ways.
(3) a RNavy Captain brought his ship in for repairs. A
widowed h took over the shipwright responsibility when
her FIL became disabled. My fav story.
(4) featured a RNavy sailing master. He was a genius,
abandoned as a baby. IMO, this had a too perfect ending.
Revised.
(RNavy) men. All heart-warming.
(1) a RNavy Captain's daughter was born at home, while
he was at sea. He missed his family. He did a wrongly
accused man & his family a huge favor.
(2) involved an exhausted (widowed) RNavy surgeon, his
son & a spinster. The heroine transported son to his Da
& then volunteered to help @ the hospital in small ways.
(3) a RNavy Captain brought his ship in for repairs. A
widowed h took over the shipwright responsibility when
her FIL became disabled. My fav story.
(4) featured a RNavy sailing master. He was a genius,
abandoned as a baby. IMO, this had a too perfect ending.
Revised.
December 15, 2019
In “Regency Royal Navy Christmas” four different stories pass the revue, each focusing on Christmas during the Napoleonic Wars.
Read full review in the 2019 December issue of InD'tale Magazine.
Read full review in the 2019 December issue of InD'tale Magazine.
April 3, 2020
Four excellent stories of ordinary people, the men all naval officers, who find (or, in one case, recall) love and happily-ever-after at Christmas.
December 10, 2020
A great collection of stories by Carla Kelly featuring naval officers at Christmas time. Kelly has a way with bringing no nonsense officers together with practical nurturing women or with those officers coming across a problem that needs solving and stepping forward to handle it. In these stories both of these things happen resulting in a warm comfortable feeling at the conclusion of each one. Highly recommended.
December 17, 2019
I seem to be in minority here, but these stories were just "okay" for me. I enjoy reading short Christmas stories this time of year so I thought to give this book a try...so many five star ratings! I read three of the four and have decided to move on to Jayne Fresina's new Christmas book. I did appreciate the fact that these short stories featured "regular" folks, a definite plus.
November 11, 2019
Excellent as always
I have been an avid fan of Ms. Kelly's for years, she has a wonderful gift in her ability to tell a story and infuse it with history. I have learned more about historical battles and daily life through her stories than I did in school. The characters are so real, I have laughed and cried along with them, it's like I accidentally stumbled on history while reading a darn good story! Excellent
I have been an avid fan of Ms. Kelly's for years, she has a wonderful gift in her ability to tell a story and infuse it with history. I have learned more about historical battles and daily life through her stories than I did in school. The characters are so real, I have laughed and cried along with them, it's like I accidentally stumbled on history while reading a darn good story! Excellent
November 12, 2019
Authentic Regency
With agreeable observations, such as “his homely duffel bag, which leaned in the corner of the room like an overweight dog of unknown origin.” and “that cosmic sheet of curved paper that was his mind.”
With agreeable observations, such as “his homely duffel bag, which leaned in the corner of the room like an overweight dog of unknown origin.” and “that cosmic sheet of curved paper that was his mind.”
December 15, 2020
This anthology has four stories, all featuring naval men.
Having read other books by this author, I'll say this one felt less captivating as others have been. There are good elements in all of them and the content of each plot was much better than the main relationships portrayed, but at the same time, none was as special as I wanted.
Having read other books by this author, I'll say this one felt less captivating as others have been. There are good elements in all of them and the content of each plot was much better than the main relationships portrayed, but at the same time, none was as special as I wanted.
April 18, 2024
Carla Kelly books are like comfort food to me. Warm macaroni and cheese and chocolate cake.
This book has all my favorite Carla Kelly comfort. There are even personal antidotes from Carla about the personal reasons for the story.
**********************************
Story #1- 5 stars
This story would work even if it was not a Christmas story, but a "nativity story" with newborns gave it that Christmas feel. Kelly does that strong male character who figures everything out and makes everyone's lives better. And he cries!!! Kelly makes you feel the ship on water and those who wait for the sailors to return.
BEST USE OF: Baby girls. Criminals on their way to Australia
ALPHA MALE: 10
SPUNKY HEROINE:10
CUTE CHILDREN:10++++
HEA: for everyone!!!
SEX: behind closed doors - there is a scene with nudity - but still no sex details
PROLOGUE/EPILOGUE: Epilogue only and it was The. Best. Epilogue. Ever!! Carla Kelly does not do epilogues very often
Rating
10 - will be re reading a lot!!
Heat
1 - very little detail - but some nudity
COVER COVERS IT: It covers the book - but not any story in the book
HOLLYWOOD CALLING: This should be a TV movie.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Story #2 - 5 stars
Lots of characters from another book - THE SURGEONS LADY - the story was even a copy of the story from that book. Lots of love for children, wounded warriors and a surgeon - who cries!
BEST USE OF : Using names of friends in books. little boys, friends who look out for you. Stonehouse Hospital
ALPHA MALE: 10
SPUNKY HEROINE: 10
HEA: 1o
SEX: no detail
CUTE CHILDREN: 10
PROLOGUE/EPILOGUE: none
Rating
10
Heat
1 - no detail
HOLLYWOOD CALLING: Make this a TV movie
**************************************
Story #3 - DNF
******************************************
I did not read the last story - I never got into the books that this story started - so it did not interest me - I had read it before.
This book has all my favorite Carla Kelly comfort. There are even personal antidotes from Carla about the personal reasons for the story.
**********************************
Story #1- 5 stars
This story would work even if it was not a Christmas story, but a "nativity story" with newborns gave it that Christmas feel. Kelly does that strong male character who figures everything out and makes everyone's lives better. And he cries!!! Kelly makes you feel the ship on water and those who wait for the sailors to return.
BEST USE OF: Baby girls. Criminals on their way to Australia
ALPHA MALE: 10
SPUNKY HEROINE:10
CUTE CHILDREN:10++++
HEA: for everyone!!!
SEX: behind closed doors - there is a scene with nudity - but still no sex details
PROLOGUE/EPILOGUE: Epilogue only and it was The. Best. Epilogue. Ever!! Carla Kelly does not do epilogues very often
Rating
10 - will be re reading a lot!!
Heat
1 - very little detail - but some nudity
COVER COVERS IT: It covers the book - but not any story in the book
HOLLYWOOD CALLING: This should be a TV movie.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Story #2 - 5 stars
Lots of characters from another book - THE SURGEONS LADY - the story was even a copy of the story from that book. Lots of love for children, wounded warriors and a surgeon - who cries!
BEST USE OF : Using names of friends in books. little boys, friends who look out for you. Stonehouse Hospital
ALPHA MALE: 10
SPUNKY HEROINE: 10
HEA: 1o
SEX: no detail
CUTE CHILDREN: 10
PROLOGUE/EPILOGUE: none
Rating
10
Heat
1 - no detail
HOLLYWOOD CALLING: Make this a TV movie
**************************************
Story #3 - DNF
******************************************
I did not read the last story - I never got into the books that this story started - so it did not interest me - I had read it before.
February 7, 2020
A good-bet collection, but the true standout for me was the final one, The Christmas Angle, which turns out to be the prequel of Able Six of The Unlikely Master Genius, so getting to know his backstory and romance with Meridee was a real treat. Normally, I bypass anthologies since they can be hit or miss, but really, there's not a bad one in this bunch. If you're STILL on the fence, read it for The Christmas Angle, then follow up with the St. Brendan full-length sequels. Wonderful!
December 12, 2019
I loved each short story
Sweet, realistic romance stories. I loved reading these. The stories and characters were interesting and not predictable. Learned some history too. Fun to read.
Sweet, realistic romance stories. I loved reading these. The stories and characters were interesting and not predictable. Learned some history too. Fun to read.
December 22, 2019
Unusual, intelligent stories with heart
Each of these novellas are trademark Carla Kelly: original, historically accurate, intelligent stories with heart and enough realism to give a strong flavor of the time period. She is among my favorite authors.
Each of these novellas are trademark Carla Kelly: original, historically accurate, intelligent stories with heart and enough realism to give a strong flavor of the time period. She is among my favorite authors.
December 25, 2019
Wonderful Christmas stories
Carla Kelly never fails!! 3 new short stories and a reprise of the wonderful love story of Abel Six and Meridee Bonfort bring a warm Christmas glow for Christmas 2019.
Carla Kelly never fails!! 3 new short stories and a reprise of the wonderful love story of Abel Six and Meridee Bonfort bring a warm Christmas glow for Christmas 2019.
December 10, 2020
4 stars overall but a solid 5 for the last story The Christmas Angel. Now I need to read the next book in the series.
March 27, 2025
This is a collection of four novellas, all stand alone. As with any novella collection, it’s difficult to give an overall star rating. I did enjoy the collection on the whole, finding the first story the weakest and the second one the best. So overall, 3 stars for the whole book. Warning- this is a long review!
#1 Boxing The Compass
2.5 to 3 stars. The premise of the story was quite nice. A Royal Navy sea captain on the long voyage from early 1800s England to Old Sydney Town in Australia, escorting convict ships on their voyage out. He loved the sea and was well-respected by his men. He was living the life he chose, but was also a family man, and had left behind his two young sons and pregnant wife, and missed them ferociously.
Unfortunately, the story started to get a little far-fetched for me after the promising start. I liked some parts of the story, including the historical aspects, but other parts just felt too cheesy and unrealistic.
#2 Wait Here For The Present
4 stars. An enjoyable novella about Micah, a widowed Royal Navy surgeon and Asenath, a 32-year-old spinster, who meet through the doctor’s son. (The unusual name ‘Asenath’ is from the Bible.)
Some of the action takes place at the naval hospital at Plymouth, which is rapidly being filled with the wounded from the battlefields of the Peninsular War. The novella is set at the time of the infamous Battle of Corunna (1808-09), which forms an interesting historical background for the story. Asenath acts as a kind of nursing assistant in some scenes, and there are some sad and confronting (and probably realistic) moments with the wounded soldiers.
There is some actual character development in this novella, which is nice, and readers become drawn in to the story. The falling-in-love did happen pretty quickly, but in spite of that, I enjoyed this story.
#3 Slip Number Five
3 stars. Captain Andrew McCulloch, has brought his damaged ship in to dry dock at Plymouth for repairs. When he falls ill, he is taken in by the family of the shipwrights who are to repair the ship. Lorna, a navy widow, is a clever, competent woman who works as a logistics and planning manager for the family firm. She is called a ‘secretary’, and everyone pretends the work is done by a drunken brother-in-law, because women at that time are neither expected to be, nor believed capable of, such work.
So far so good. The characters are likeable, and the situation is believable. But it’s a novella, so of course we get the telescoped falling-in-lurve that happens over a ridiculously short time. I happily accept that these are two lonely people who like each other and are seriously attracted. But the way they supposedly fell so deeply in love in the space of a few days was just a bit too much for me to swallow in this one. So it didn’t quite work for me. Oh well. It wasn’t a bad story, just a bit too unbelievable for me.
#4 The Christmas Angle
3.5 stars. I wanted to read this one because it’s a prequel novella to a full length book of Kelly’s I am considering reading (The Unlikely Master Genius). It was a reasonably enjoyable novella, and I might go on and read the novel at some point.
Mr. Durable Six, known as Able (his unusual name was given to him in a foundling home) has a photographic memory (which is still debated today as to whether such a thing really exists). As a result he is considered a genius, as his over-active mind never forgets anything. As a reader of this novella, you either have to believe that Able has photographic memory, or else not bother with the novella at all. LOL. I decided to just go with it.
Able, a brilliant young navy officer, is now on shore, out of work and on half-pay due to the temporary peace with Napoleon. He takes a short-term position as tutor to two young boys, in order to make ends meet, and encounters Meridee, the boys’ aunt,
Able and Meridee are instantly attracted, and fall deeply in love much too quickly, but as it’s a novella, again, you either go with it or don’t bother reading it at all. Both are poor as the proverbial church mouse, so they make arrangements for Able to teach at a navy school, a position he begins at the end of the novella, and which no doubt leads in to the novel. By this point they have just gotten married. I quite liked both MCs, although there was a bit of the ‘goody-two-shoes’ feel that sometimes seems to pervade Kelly’s books. But overall it was a sweet and clean read.
#1 Boxing The Compass
2.5 to 3 stars. The premise of the story was quite nice. A Royal Navy sea captain on the long voyage from early 1800s England to Old Sydney Town in Australia, escorting convict ships on their voyage out. He loved the sea and was well-respected by his men. He was living the life he chose, but was also a family man, and had left behind his two young sons and pregnant wife, and missed them ferociously.
Unfortunately, the story started to get a little far-fetched for me after the promising start. I liked some parts of the story, including the historical aspects, but other parts just felt too cheesy and unrealistic.
#2 Wait Here For The Present
4 stars. An enjoyable novella about Micah, a widowed Royal Navy surgeon and Asenath, a 32-year-old spinster, who meet through the doctor’s son. (The unusual name ‘Asenath’ is from the Bible.)
Some of the action takes place at the naval hospital at Plymouth, which is rapidly being filled with the wounded from the battlefields of the Peninsular War. The novella is set at the time of the infamous Battle of Corunna (1808-09), which forms an interesting historical background for the story. Asenath acts as a kind of nursing assistant in some scenes, and there are some sad and confronting (and probably realistic) moments with the wounded soldiers.
There is some actual character development in this novella, which is nice, and readers become drawn in to the story. The falling-in-love did happen pretty quickly, but in spite of that, I enjoyed this story.
#3 Slip Number Five
3 stars. Captain Andrew McCulloch, has brought his damaged ship in to dry dock at Plymouth for repairs. When he falls ill, he is taken in by the family of the shipwrights who are to repair the ship. Lorna, a navy widow, is a clever, competent woman who works as a logistics and planning manager for the family firm. She is called a ‘secretary’, and everyone pretends the work is done by a drunken brother-in-law, because women at that time are neither expected to be, nor believed capable of, such work.
So far so good. The characters are likeable, and the situation is believable. But it’s a novella, so of course we get the telescoped falling-in-lurve that happens over a ridiculously short time. I happily accept that these are two lonely people who like each other and are seriously attracted. But the way they supposedly fell so deeply in love in the space of a few days was just a bit too much for me to swallow in this one. So it didn’t quite work for me. Oh well. It wasn’t a bad story, just a bit too unbelievable for me.
#4 The Christmas Angle
3.5 stars. I wanted to read this one because it’s a prequel novella to a full length book of Kelly’s I am considering reading (The Unlikely Master Genius). It was a reasonably enjoyable novella, and I might go on and read the novel at some point.
Mr. Durable Six, known as Able (his unusual name was given to him in a foundling home) has a photographic memory (which is still debated today as to whether such a thing really exists). As a result he is considered a genius, as his over-active mind never forgets anything. As a reader of this novella, you either have to believe that Able has photographic memory, or else not bother with the novella at all. LOL. I decided to just go with it.
Able, a brilliant young navy officer, is now on shore, out of work and on half-pay due to the temporary peace with Napoleon. He takes a short-term position as tutor to two young boys, in order to make ends meet, and encounters Meridee, the boys’ aunt,
Able and Meridee are instantly attracted, and fall deeply in love much too quickly, but as it’s a novella, again, you either go with it or don’t bother reading it at all. Both are poor as the proverbial church mouse, so they make arrangements for Able to teach at a navy school, a position he begins at the end of the novella, and which no doubt leads in to the novel. By this point they have just gotten married. I quite liked both MCs, although there was a bit of the ‘goody-two-shoes’ feel that sometimes seems to pervade Kelly’s books. But overall it was a sweet and clean read.
January 2, 2020
"Boxing the Compass": 3.5/10, about a happily-married Captain that misses his wife and children very much... he longs for them but specially for the unknown and recently born baby girl, so his crew find a girl who just recently had her baby, so the Captain can hold her and think is his little girl. And besides that he helps the young mother and her husband.
"Wait Here for the Present": 4/10 a spinster who falls in love with a surgeon, his little boy and a "powder monkey", a boy who lost a leg. This one is more CK since both h and H are lonely people, desperately in need of someone to take care of and being taking care of.
"Slip Number Five": 3.5/10 a nice Captain who finds love when he spends a month dry lock. The family was sweet and he is smitten with the mother instantly.
"The Christmas Angle": 2/10 I have an irrational dislike for Able and Meridee, from their names to their love story to him being a genius... even more that he "remembers" when he was practically born... ha! I though I disliked the book because I didn't read the prequel, but I was wrong... I dislike all of it, from the beginning to their HEA.
"Wait Here for the Present": 4/10 a spinster who falls in love with a surgeon, his little boy and a "powder monkey", a boy who lost a leg. This one is more CK since both h and H are lonely people, desperately in need of someone to take care of and being taking care of.
"Slip Number Five": 3.5/10 a nice Captain who finds love when he spends a month dry lock. The family was sweet and he is smitten with the mother instantly.
"The Christmas Angle": 2/10 I have an irrational dislike for Able and Meridee, from their names to their love story to him being a genius... even more that he "remembers" when he was practically born... ha! I though I disliked the book because I didn't read the prequel, but I was wrong... I dislike all of it, from the beginning to their HEA.
December 19, 2020
Three short stories, Boxing the Compass, Wait Here for the Present, and The Christmas Angle. Boxing the Compass is about a captain on a convict ship to Australia who is missing his family. Wait Here for the Present is about a woman who rescues a young boy and delivers him to his father at a navel hospital right before the battle of Coruna. The Christmas Angle is the story that introduced the St Brendan school series. They are nominally Christmas novels, but only because they are set in December.
All three are very good. Kelly's view of the Regency era is completely unique with no aristocracy and instead focused on the Royal navy.
All three are very good. Kelly's view of the Regency era is completely unique with no aristocracy and instead focused on the Royal navy.
December 18, 2025
I read this as a palate cleanser and it was pleasant enough. For starters, it was much better than the first book I read by the author. The romances were actually enjoyable and there was nothing gross or predatory this time.
The stories were simple, a little generic at times. But they still had plenty of heartwarming moments. I enjoyed how everything was woven within the context and difficulties of the time. This elevated them beyond simple "Christmas romances". My favorite was a third, especially because the female protagonist had a strong personality and repartee.
So, in the end, I got what I wanted and all is well!
The stories were simple, a little generic at times. But they still had plenty of heartwarming moments. I enjoyed how everything was woven within the context and difficulties of the time. This elevated them beyond simple "Christmas romances". My favorite was a third, especially because the female protagonist had a strong personality and repartee.
So, in the end, I got what I wanted and all is well!
January 7, 2020
With a Carla Kelly Christmas Regency collection you know exactly what you're going to get--no dukes or billionaires, but rather ordinary people being good to one another, and finding love along the way. Sometimes, that's exactly what you want. In crazy times you want to read stories that give you hope, and bring the schmaltz, and maybe open a tear duct or two along the way. If that's what you're looking for, then this collection delivers the goods.
December 10, 2019
Christmas Returns to the Navy
The anthology contains 4 novelettes, 3 seeming to be new and the 4th a smaller rendition of one of Kelly’s novels. Her portrayal of everyday people doing their best during a teleconference me of warm makes for interesting character development and themes as well as those small things in the life of the Navy and land lubbers of the time. Once again, well done, Cara Kelly!
The anthology contains 4 novelettes, 3 seeming to be new and the 4th a smaller rendition of one of Kelly’s novels. Her portrayal of everyday people doing their best during a teleconference me of warm makes for interesting character development and themes as well as those small things in the life of the Navy and land lubbers of the time. Once again, well done, Cara Kelly!
January 2, 2022
Three new stories, plus one I had read before ("The Christmas Angle," sort of a short story introduction to the St. Brendan series).
I like Carla Kelly's stories because she writes about normal people, and they're hopeful and comforting. And sometimes almost brutally honest--like Asenath in "Wait for the Present," who grieves her brother's death but at the same time feels guilty and resentful that she was forced to serve as his caregiver for so so long.
I like Carla Kelly's stories because she writes about normal people, and they're hopeful and comforting. And sometimes almost brutally honest--like Asenath in "Wait for the Present," who grieves her brother's death but at the same time feels guilty and resentful that she was forced to serve as his caregiver for so so long.
December 1, 2021
Lovely set of stories, that will tug at your heartstrings! From the father away from home at the time of his third child’s birth, who longs to be home with his family, to a transport convoy carrying innocent as well as guilty to a life of exile, you experience a full range of emotions in just one of the stories.
I especially enjoyed “The Christmas Angle” as it is a prequel to a most delightful series starring Able Six (not to be missed!) I guarantee you will never forget Able.
I especially enjoyed “The Christmas Angle” as it is a prequel to a most delightful series starring Able Six (not to be missed!) I guarantee you will never forget Able.
November 29, 2022
Wonderful
I !over every one of these stories! They are the first ones I've read in a long time that touched my heart and kept my curiosity burning from the first word to the last! Thank you MS Kelly!
I !over every one of these stories! They are the first ones I've read in a long time that touched my heart and kept my curiosity burning from the first word to the last! Thank you MS Kelly!
November 16, 2019
Poignant delights
Each tale is a beautiful, complex, narrative that will fully engage your imagination. Kelly writes about love in a time of war that is both realistic and joyous.
Each tale is a beautiful, complex, narrative that will fully engage your imagination. Kelly writes about love in a time of war that is both realistic and joyous.
November 23, 2019
Great read!
Carla never disappoints! I love her stories! I have read about all of her books and wish there were more! She is one of a kind! Thank you dear Carla!
Carla never disappoints! I love her stories! I have read about all of her books and wish there were more! She is one of a kind! Thank you dear Carla!
December 11, 2019
I loved these stories
All these stories. They were delightfully entertaining and well written. Carla is one of my favorite authors, and she never disappoints.
All these stories. They were delightfully entertaining and well written. Carla is one of my favorite authors, and she never disappoints.
December 16, 2019
Lovely stories
For being four short stories they pack a wallop and I will be get the two books following Master Able.
For being four short stories they pack a wallop and I will be get the two books following Master Able.
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