The Yuletide Brides

by Glynnis Campbell

A very special collection of four holiday novellas set in the world of historical Scotland, spanning the centuries with yuletide cheer and heartwarming romance. Stories to snuggle up with on a cold winter's night!

A YULETIDE KISS
A half-Viking shieldmaiden has until Yuletide to choose a bridegroom…or one will be chosen for her.

A RIVENLOCH CHRISTMAS
A medieval clan reunion turns into a desperate search for three missing lasses as impetuous and daring as their warrior mothers.

THE HANDFASTING
A French knight betrothed to a Highland heiress falls in love with his spirited bride, then realizes he's married the wrong sister.

THE STOWAWAY
A notorious Scottish rake, scuttled aboard a ship bound for America, has to rely on a spirited young botanist to restore his good name.

Plus a free gift exclusively for you...
SEASON'S SWEETINGS
A book of Christmas cookie recipes from some of your favorite historical romance authors—delightful goodies to make your holidays a little sweeter!

Genres: Romance, Christmas, Historical Romance, Historical, Anthologies, Holiday, Novella

270 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 22, 2020

About the author

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GLYNNIS CAMPBELL is a USA Today bestselling author of swashbuckling "medieval action-adventure romances," mostly set in Scotland, and a charter member of The Jewels of Historical Romance--12 internationally beloved authors. She has over two dozen books published in eight languages. Glynnis once rocked in an all-girl band called The Pinups on CBS Records, did voiceovers for the MTV animated series, "The Maxx," Diablo and Starcraft videogames, and Star Wars audio adventures, and is married to a rock star. She loves to transport readers to a place where the bold heroes have endearing flaws, the women are stronger than they look, the land is lush and untamed, and chivalry is alive and well!

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BOOK LIST

The Warrior Maids of Rivenloch
The Shipwreck
A Yuletide Kiss
Lady Danger
Captive Heart
Knight's Prize
A Rivenloch Christmas

The Warrior Daughters of Rivenloch
The Storming
Bride of Fire
Bride of Ice
Bride of Mist
My Champion
My Warrior
My Hero

The Warrior Lairds of Rivenloch
Laird of Steel
Laird of Flint

Medieval Outlaws
The Reiver
Danger's Kiss
Passion's Exile
Desire's Ransom

Scottish Lasses
The Outcast
MacFarland's Lass
MacAdam's Lass
MacKenzie's Lass

California Legends
The Stowaway
Native Gold
Native Wolf
Native Hawk

Reviews

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read each of these stories when they originally came out and liked them so much that they are still in my collection.

[AmazingJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each Novella was Absolutely Wonderful.

I really enjoyed the 4 Novella's in this book.
Glynnis Campbell knows how to capture your attention & keep you engaged from the beginning till the end of each book.

[Naomi Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Rivenloch Christmas Well, the warrior maids and their dashing hunks were all caught with their pants down! It was a holiday gathering with our favorite maids and their families. With everyone at Rivenloch, there was a shortage of privacy. So each of our favorite, feisty maids were clever enough to steal a bit of time away from the clan to kindle the old flames of romance. Inattentive as they were, the newest maidens of Rivenloch took advantage and had a holiday adventure of their own. This was a very short read, but oh, so steamy!!! A holiday delight!
The Stowaway A delightful tale set on a packet ship bound for America in 1810. Imagine finding yourself uprooted from your home in Scotland on short notice, placed aboard a small ship traveling for weeks across the Atlantic Ocean and ending up in New York City under mysterious circumstances. Charlotte is bright, beautiful and a woman way ahead of her time. Her curiosity and love of botany make her a woman with depth and character. She’s the kind of woman we all wish we could be, especially under oppressive circumstances. Travis, another shipmate, finds himself aboard the same packet ship, also under mysterious circumstances. You will fall in love with Travis. He’s the perfect blend of rascal and gentleman. The two passengers and a furry little friend will capture your attention and make you want to read every last word in one sitting. It’s a quick read that blends historical accuracy with a classic HEA. It’s a great prequel to the fabulous California Legends series.

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up looking for something short, Christmassy, and fun. Most of the stories mistake lust for love, and there is plenty of descriptive sexual situations that overwhelmed the actual storylines. That being said there were sweet romantic moments, humorous moments, and some curious melding of Viking and Christian Christmas traditions. My favorite story of this set was The Handfasting. To me, Noel's courtesy and respect for his new bride, Ysenda, was the most endearing and romantic. Note: At the end of each novella there is a sampler chapter offered from other books in Glynnis Campbell's various series, and there are cookie recipes at the end.

[Barbara "Cookie" Serfaty Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Yuletide Brides

Four prequel novells. Book 1 - A Yuletide Kiss - the love story of Brude and Kumbery. Book 2 - A Rivenloch Christmas - the love story of the daughters of Rivenloch warriors. Book 3 - The Hardfasting - the love story of Ysenda and Noel. Book 4 - the love story of Charlotte and Travis.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely

I had read some of the novellas before but all are great stories. Interesting characters unique plots. I would prefer a little less sex but you can skip over a page or too. A nice collection

[Kathleen Ruggio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read

I haven’t read a book by Glynnis lately but have now just purchased another book she authored. This little gem I just finished was so romantic and fun to read. The flow of the book was quick and VERY well written.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Yuletide Brides

This is a wonderful book with "tastes" of some of Glynnis Campbell's winter books where the heroines become Christmas brides. Glynnis is my favorite author. I love here style and genera.
I recommend this and all her books to everyone.
I give it 5 stars.

[Donna Nalbandian Woerner Homschek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read all four books separately when each came out. They are all wonderful Christmas love stories. Recommend for all to read

[Linda Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brides

I loved these books. Characters interactions was great. The storylines were interesting. I have recommend to friends and family. You'll enjoy these books

[Evelyn Goughnour · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Love following the family thru the years!

[Jean Matlock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!! Highly recommended.

[Kristi Hudecek-Ashwill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a compilation of novellas that center around marriages at Christmas. I liked them all, but the one I didn't exactly love lowered the star rating. They're all prequels to series and there are samples from the first books following the novellas. That was cool because now I've added more books to my ever-growing TBR list...for better or for worse.

I've reviewed each novella.

~~~

A Yuletide Kiss

This was a short novella that was almost comical. Brude was set up by his brothers to have his first sexual encounter with a woman they hired. Brude was supposed to marry a woman he’d never met the next day and they wanted him to have some experience before he bedded his new bride. Brude’s prowess was on the battlefield and wasn’t interested in much else. He scared most women and it didn’t bother him much. He was prepared to die a virgin.

Kimberly was a shieldmaiden or a female warrior. She’s supposed to marry a man she’d never met and was dead-set against it. She’s independent and doesn’t need a man or a house or any children to make her happy. She wanted no part of it and was escaping her Viking brothers and ends up in an alehouse.

The story takes off from there. For it being so short, it packed a punch. There was humor, action, and steam.

A Rivenloch Christmas

Honestly, I didn’t like this one as much as the previous story. I don’t like heroines who take pride in bullying men or who have bigger bollocks than their men. I think it emasculates the men and makes them look like pansies, especially when he’s in charge of decorating the keep for Christmas. I know it’s an unpopular view these days and warrior women are all the rage, but it’s not something I love.

With that being said, the story had good meaning behind it. I liked the melding of two traditions in one family and everybody being happy with the results. The story is steamy with some mystery to it that added to the aura of it.

It wasn’t a bad story at all. I just didn’t care for the role reversals for the heroes and heroines.

The Handfasting

I LOVED this story. It had all the best elements of romance in it. A French knight coming to claim his Highland bride whom he has never met and his gift from the king, the keep and lands that come with his bride. Only he handfasts with the wrong woman. Yikes! But it’s such a beautiful story.

Ysenda has a brother that has physical infirmities that his father, the laird, disowns him for and Ysenda has been caring for him for years—caring and protecting him from the wicked laird who refuses to acknowledge him as his son. When Sir Noel de Ware marries her and finds out that he’s her brother, everything changes for her brother. That’s a story unto itself.

Throw in a vain, spiteful sister, the abusive drunkard deceitful laird, and you’ve got a humdinger of a story. I loved it all.

I might just read the entire series of Knights of de Ware. Yay!

The Stowaway

I bought this book for this particular novella. I’ve had my eye on the California Legends series for quite some time and didn’t want to miss anything by not reading this book. I probably could’ve gotten by okay without reading it, but then I would’ve missed a really good story.

Charlotte de Ware (are all the DeWare’s from this and other novels related?) is a botanist, something unheard of in the time of this story. Science and women didn’t mix. But Charlotte didn’t boo-hoo around it being a man’s world and how unfair it was for women. She had her father backing her and giving her access to journals she never would’ve been able to get on her own. She accepted it and quietly went about her business.

Her parents are out of the country and have instructed her brother, George, to go to America to spend the holiday with an aunt and take Charlotte with him. Charlotte was excited to go to New York and visit a botanical garden, but something wasn’t right. To say anymore about that would mean spoilers and I don’t want to do that.

She meets a physician on board who is having to work off his passage by swabbing the deck, making repairs to sails and ropes, and doing some doctoring on the side. She thinks he’s a rake, a philanderer, a rogue. When she finds out the truth, she sees him in an entirely different light.

All things considered, it’s a light-hearted tale with great characters, an awesome terrier named Campbell (I know it’s the author’s last name, but it fit this dog to a T), a huge twist for Charlotte, and a great ending.

There weren’t any feels to speak of nor was there any steam, but it was still a great story.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Predictable, but Fun

This book comprises the prequels to four different romance series. The characters seem mostly interchangeable, although that might be the fault of having read the stories one after the other. The exception is the last novella, which is set in a much later time and under different circumstances. Charlotte and Travis are somewhat more fleshed out than the others. The stories are well written and, unusually, I have no complaints about the editing. However, the characters are quite eager to jump into bed at the first opportunity and at every opportunity thereafter, which I think makes for a boring book. I probably won’t be pursuing any of these series further.

[Nicole Reads Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four novellas set in four different periods (late 800s, 1144, 1199 and 1810), with FMCs all on the same family tree. The first three novellas were steamy and very focused on the MCs relationship, some insta love, sword-play as foreplay, mistaken identity, and plenty of Yuletide vibes (with some Norman traditions thrown in for good measure). The fourth novella was a bit longer, so spent more time exploring the individual MCs as they sailed from Edinburgh to NYC. It was also closed door and missing any Christmas vibes other than occurring in December.

The eBook is currently free and I'd recommend it as a great gateway to Campbell's writing and characters.

[Linda Elliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book containing a mixed up both Exceptionally well written stories and some stories that were not

Variety of authors put together this book of different Christmas stories. Some of them I found stiff and boring and had a hard time reading them all. There were some I found enjoyable and 1 to know more. It's actually a brief summary of these authors have done but not the complete books. If you want a book you give a hint of what these different authors do this would be the book for you

[Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE STORIES IN THIS COLLECTION FETURE LOVELY WOMAN, STRONG AND HANDSOME MEN, WHO HAVE CONFLICT AND MUTUAL ATTRACTION.

THE PATH TO TRUE LOVE DOESN'T ALWAYS HAPPEN IMMEDIATELY, IT CAN BE ROCKY, ADVENTUROUS, AND QUITE VEXING(AT TIMES).

FEAR NOT THOUGH! THE STORIES ARE ALL EXCITING AND WORTH YOUR TIME TO READ. MS. CAMPBELL'S BOOK HAVEN'T DISAPPOINTED ME YET, AND I NEVER THOUGHT I WAS SOMEONE WHO WOULD ENJOY ROMANCE NOVELS.

MS. CAMPELL'S NOVELS HAVE MADE ME QUITE INTERESTED IN READING THIS GENRE.

[Kelly Erickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every one of these stories is awesome. And so very different from each other, from a brash, angry warrior woman to a mousy, quiet girl with a highly educated scientific mind. As usual, they're so well written I was completely immersed in the story, laughing and crying along with the characters. I also loved the sample chapter from the series that each story was related to. I had already read a couole of them, but even if you haven't, these stories are fantastic in their own right.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

What A Fool Believes

The first story is about two who dont want to marry but when they meet it all changes,
the next is about 3 sisters and 1 groom sent by the King,
next is the Kings chosen man to marry for future control of a Castles and land but Noel finds there is a heir and thought he is not claimed
Next a sister is sold into servanture by her brother who is a drunken fool but he gets what's his due. So now he is paying the price.

[Michele Buhler · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Joy of Yuletide Love

All of the stories having settings within the Yuletide season. Being written by Glynnis Campbell, makes them a joy to read. She is one of my most favorite authors of historical romances, knowing how to give authenticity to the times. You will adore these four stories and want to read them over and over again.

[Carol Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed all of these stories.

I started reading these Yuletide Brides a week before Christmas and it kept me in a holiday mood of course it took me more than a week to read all of the stories because I was also enjoying the Christmas emotions of gift giving and socializing with family.

[Shannon Spikes-Castorena]

Beautiful stories. I enjoyed each one. I had already read them separately but didn’t realize it before I purchased this book. The only problem I had was that George (The Stowaway) needed to be horse whipped. He got off way to easy. Thank you for the incredible stories.

[Jen Webster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spicy and Festive

If you love historical romance, you'll definitely love this set of 4 novellas. From brooding Highlanders to a seafaring doc who may or may not be a rake, you have all the makings for a fabulous Yule.

[Laurie reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sex, sex, and more descriptive sex. The plot lines seem to be overwhelmingly about sex in all locations and venues. Add a little mistletoe and some Viking Jul and Christian traditions and you have these Holiday stories.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

a little collection of short stories

An interesting little collection of short stories all of which have different storylines and interest. I enjoyed a couple more than the others but that was my personal tastes probably. All have happy endings

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good collection

This was a good collection of holiday reads by a good author! The Handfasting was my favorite read and the only book I gave 5 stars to. Glynnis Campbell has away of pulling the reader back to Scotland and into her stories! ✌

[Joann · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delight

Four invariably unique stories, each competing to top the other. I loved the flavor of the Yuletime, it made each very special. But the strong and unique young ladies in each story took it over the top.

[Vanessa]

Added it

[Ann Gonzalez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great

This was a great collection of stories. Each story was unique and had wonderful characters. Of the books I have read from this author, I have not been disappointed.

[Connie Huddleston · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seemed like I had read some of these stories before.