A Stockingful of Joy

by Jill Barnett, Mary Jo Putney, Justine Dare

Four popular romance writers--Jill Barnett, Mary Jo Putney, Justine Dare, and Susan King-- offer this collection of timeless, passionate stories that capture the true spirit of this special time of the year. Original.

Genres: Christmas, Romance, Historical Romance, Anthologies, Holiday, Regency, Short Stories

400 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 1, 1997

About the author

New York Times Bestselling Author Jill Barnett is master storyteller known for her beautifully-written love stories rich with humor, emotion, and poignancy. She is the winner of Lifetime Achievement Awards for Love and Laughter and Historical Romance and is a six-time Romance Writers of America RITA nominee and winner of both a Persie Award for Literature and a Waldenbooks Award. Her books have been named Best of the Year by Dallas Morning News, Detroit Free Press, and Kirkus Review and she was the first historical romance author to ever receive a starred review from Publishers Weekly. She stands alongside Judith McNaught as one of only two authors to ever receive a six-star review from Affaire de Coeur Magazine and her work has been published in 23 languages and appeared on numerous bestseller lists. She lives in the PNW with her family.

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Stockingful of Joy was good. I enjoyed the first 2 stories but the last two were duds.

In "The Snow Rose" by Susan King we Catriona MacDonald a desperate but determined young lady turns to Kenneth Fraser and his family in her time of need. Obviously they fall in love,he helps her and they live happily ever after.

I liked the story because it flowed well and the hero actually asks for consent before sex. Shocking!

The Best Husband Money Can Buy by Mary Jo Putney is about a poor governess who receives a major windfall because of one kind act. She then uses that money to go find herself a husband.

2 Things I didn't like: I hate the title. A little too on the nose & her love interest is her second cousin(Yup!)

I may have enjoyed this one more because the jumping off plot was later used in one of my All Time favorite shows Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction.

The other 2 stories A Light in the Window by Justine Dare was just not my thing but there was nothing wrong with it.

Boxing Day by Jill Barnett was boring and I almost didn't even finish it. I did appreciate that the heroine was in her 40's and her love interest was in his 30's.

This collection was my first time reading Regency Romance and I actually liked a lot. I hope to read more in the future.

If you like Historical Romance and you want a little Christmas cheer than pick up this book.

[Alba Turunen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Antes de nada debo aclarar que de la antología “A stockingful of joy” sólo he leído el relato “The Best husband money can buy”, o lo que es lo mismo “El mejor marido que el dinero puede comprar”, de Mary Jo Putney. De modo que imparcialmente las 5 estrellas van única y exclusivamente para éste relato porque no puedo opinar por lo otros.

En éstas muy señaladas fechas, siempre me gusta leerme algo especial, y llevaba tiempo reservando relatos cortos para leerme en Navidad, éste relato de Mary Jo Putney fue uno de los elegidos hace tiempo, y debo decir que me ha encantado.

“The best husband money can buy” es una breve historia de apenas 100 páginas que puede leerse en una tarde. Lo que más me ha gustado es que pese a su brevedad, tiene los mejores toques de su autora, unos personajes fuertes y atractivos que son capaces de enamorar siendo como son, y una historia, que aunque corta, es muy sólida y bonita.

Lo mejor, la explicación que Mary Jo Putney da sobre la historia; que la basó en una historia real que leyó. En éste relato, lo que la autora nos cuenta es un romance en la extensísima y aristocrática familia Vaughan. Emma y Anthony son primos lejanos, y se conocían de las reuniones familiares que los Vaughan daban en su castillo para Navidad. Aún siendo muy niña por aquél entonces, Emma estaba enamorada de Anthony, pero él no era para ella.

Tras perder trágicamente a sus padres, Emma se quedó sola y sin dinero, y hubo de ponerse a trabajar como institutriz; éste incidente hizo que Emma, por orgullo, no volviera a aceptar una invitación de Navidad por parte de la duquesa viuda. Semanas antes de Navidad, a Emma le cambia la suerte, ha heredado una fabulosa suma de dinero, y gracias a ella puede dejar su vida como institutriz; pero Emma es una mujer práctica, sabe que no es hermosa, y aún así no quiere privarse de la felicidad que puede darle estar casada y tener su propia familia, así que ¿Por qué no conseguirse al mejor marido que el dinero puede comprar?

El título le viene que ni pintado, porque el marido en el que Emma piensa es en su primo Anthony, al descubrir que al final no se casó con la hermosa prima Cecilia. Anthony tiene un título y unas tierras, y sólo eso, porque está a punto de perder su casa tras la ruina económica que dejó el jugador de su padre. Así que, cuando Emma entra en su vida para proponerle un matrimonio concertado, a cambio de que pueda recuperar su hogar, Anthony no se niega.

Lo que en principio parece un simple matrimonio de conveniencia, pronto se dará cuenta el lector de que hay mucho más detrás. Emma no espera que Anthony la ame, pero lo será por las fechas, o porque tienen pensado volver juntos a la fiesta de Navidad de la familia Vaughan, pero lo cierto es que el romance no tardará en florecer entre los muros del castillo.

Sí, breve, corto y conciso, pero me ha encantado la historia y sus protagonistas, así que ha quedado como un bonito relato para leer durante navidades.

[Marybelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely compilation of stories that brings out the true meaning of love and Christmas. My favorite is "The Light in the Window" where two strangers learn how to let go the pain of the past, and face a new future together. However in "The Best Husband Money Can Buy" one learns how a little bit of love can change a person's life. The fact that it's so funny doesn't hurt either. The same can be said for “Boxing Day” where two hearts clash until they find the way to beat together. The fourth story in this anthology, “The Snow Rose” is okay, but not remarkable.

However, I must say that this book is definitely a keeper. You'll want to revisit it again and again every Christmas.

[Elizabeth Gibbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

R-rated, interesting romance stories. I had to laugh at some of the storylines- creative yet so unrealistic. I suppose that's why it was written- you can't find it on the planet so you have to make it up! Been there, done that. LOL

[L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a delightful collection of novellas by four historical romance writers: Mary Jo Putney, Jill Barnett, Justine Dare, and Susan King.
"Boxing Day" by Barnett was the funniest and Elenore and Conn had me laughing, especially when she was hanging from the gutter and he came to her rescue.
"The Best Husband Money can Buy" by Putney was a "rags to riches" story where our heroine truly buys a wonderful husband in what starts out as a business agreement but turns into a true love story.
"The Snow Rose" by Ms. King features a young Scottish woman who demands the fulfillment of a promise made to her and her mother by a dead rival clansman. The current generation refuses to fulfill the promise, mostly because they would be punished by the "Council" if they draw first blood and break the truce between the two rival clans. A solution is found but it is unusual.
"A Light in the Window" by Justine Dare is the most touching story about a man who has never heard a kind word and never had a home. While looking for a place to stay overnight during a snow storm he follows a distant light and finds shelter in a barn. A young orphan and his aunt help him realize that attachments aren't always negative and everyone needs someone in their lives.
This is a lovely holiday read that warms the heart and delights the senses.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Snow Rose by Susan King takes place in the Scottish Highlands of 1573. I could almost feel the cold and hunger of the main characters. The Best Husband Money Can Buy by Mary Jo Putney set in London in 1818 was wonderful fun as two unexpectedly interesting characters grow to know one another and change AFTER they are married. A Light in the Window by Justine Dare set in the Wyoming Territory in 1878 pulls in a loner and lonely cowboy taking shelter in a nearby barn who slowly but surely gets sucked into the lives of a woman trying to raise her sister's son and keep his ranch going until he can take over. Finally, Boxing Day by Jill Barnett set in New York City in 1891 is a funny story about an older woman falling for a man eight years her junior and trying not to let him know it. All of them are keepers.

[Mo · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is nothing I like better at this time of year other than indulging in my love for reading novellas revolving around Christmas. And if some of those stories have a Regency setting, so much the better! Most of this collection hits the mark on every level.

4 stars - The Snow Rose by Susan King
4 stars - The Best Husband Money Can Buy by Mary Jo Putney
4 stars - A Light in the Window by Justine Dare
2 stars - Boxing Day Jill Barnett

In this type of collection, 3 out of 4 isn’t bad at all!

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have bought the Christmas romance books with a few stories for holiday reading. "A Stocking of Joy," I read all the stories: "The Snow Rose," Susan King, "The Best Husband Money Can Buy," Mary Jo Putney, "A Light in the Window," Justine Dare, "Boxing Day," Jill Barrett.

Mary Jo Putney's Christmas Cinderella romance story was my favorite, the only story holding my attention, wonderful warm story with a happy ending, I enjoy re-reading every yr during the Christmas season.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love these stories. I was not familiar with any of these Best Selling Authors, but now I want to read more from each. Except for The Snow Rose, all of these stories were set in the 1800s.
A great read!

[Sussy_lwp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Siempre consiguo pasar gratisimos momentos entre sus letras, sus relatos siempre son muy románticos y con una cuota de diversión y sobre todo una maravillos protagonista.

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked most of the stories and wished one or two could have been a bit longer. Lots of Christmas and lots of romance. Read if you’re in the mood for both of those things.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun christmas read.

[Christa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked one story. Kinda liked two others and just didn’t like one at all.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

4 Christmas stories from varying time periods. 1 a paranormal.

Susan King - 1 star. Set in medieval Scotland. VERY contrived, illogical story. Young girl asks a rival clan to help her get her castle back. Her drunken bully of an uncle is "holding" it for her until she gets married. For one thing, it's 1573. This girl is obviously beyond a marrigeable age. She would have married who her uncle told her to marry...end of story. The clan owes her for a kindness her mother did for them years ago, but they can't help her with this. She attracts the attention of Kenneth, the male lead.
She goes back to her small shack in the middle of nowhere. She's living there to escape the attentions of the cousin her uncle wants her to marry. It's 1573. The cousin & his friends know where she's at, presumably so do others. She's raped & murdered because she's alone in a shack miles from anyone & it's 1573. Not really, but it's what logically should happen to her in 1573. Women did not live alone apart from others unless they want to attract the wrong kind of attention.
She's responsible for her 8 young cousins who are in age from 3 to 16. Instead of living with them as she logically should for safety & because she's RESPONSIBLE for them, she lives miles away in a small shack. This is a manipulation on the author's part, because how can the female lead have sex with the male lead in a one room crofters hut with 8 children in the same room? Therefore, she & the male lead get to "know" each other in privacy. Until it's time for the male lead to go, because God forbid the female lead leave the 8 young children "all alone" & go with him to the other clan so she can marry him, not her loutish cousin. There's also the fact (& she reminds us of it in every blasted paragraph) "He's a Frasier & I'm a MacDonald & the two can never mix, except when I'm having mind blowing sex with him".
She goes back to the castle & the male lead thinks of a plan to get her & the castle her uncle holds. This next leap of illogic has the drunken, bully uncle behaving like a sensible, reasonable man & allows the girl to marry the enemy AND have her castle with the 8 children living with them. All HAPPILY EVER AFTER!!! Whatever :(

Mary Jo Putney - 2 stars. Set in Regency England. This would have been a 4 star story. However, the author makes the heroine do something so totally, mindnumbingly out of character, that it pissed me off. The plain, sensible, school teacher heroine is required to get out of her warm bed in the middle of the night (& in a howling snowstorm!) & go out on the roof to sit & freeze to death. This is so the hero of the story could find her & rescue her, thus adding additional drama to what was a nice story. BOOO!

Justine Dare 4 stars. Set in the old west, in 1878. This, believe it or not is the paranormal. This is a very nice story about a lonely drifter who takes shelter in a barn in an out of the way ranch. He spoils a young boy's escape from home & talks him into waiting to leave in the morning. The boy tells the drifer his father is dead & his mother is "gone". He's being taken care of by his old, weepy, spinster Aunt Faith. She discovers them in the morning & the hero discovers she's not old or weepy. He stays longer then he thinks he should. He finds out that the boy's mother is dead, but the boy insists that she comes to see him every night. He has a special lamp his mother used to place in the window at night. The hero actually sees the ghost. The story becomes kind of implausable after that. The boy runs off in a blizzard & the hero & heroine have to chase after him. The lamp guides them home (the lamp no one ever lit before they left). The hero eventually stays. I just stopped being cynical & liked it!
The author used a word, I swear she made up, but I found it in the dictionary. SILLILY. I've never come across that word in all the books I've EVER read. Hats off to Justine Dare!

Jill Barnett - 4 stars. This story is set in 1900. A period of time scrupulously avoided by romance authors (I have no idea why). Her heroine is 40 years old & I've got to hand it to Jill. Her heroine doesn't require glasses, a walker, or an ear trumpet. She has NO grey hair!!! Honestly, don't you ever get tired of all women over the age of 35 in a romance novel being treated like they were too elderly to ANYTHING?
The hero is 32. There is an attraction between them, but she's afraid of being laughed at. They work at their relationship. I loved the hero's friends, especially Peter & his translator, Cuba. All in all a great story!!!

[Maura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Snow Rose - Susan King - 3/5 - A very good story about Catriona McDonald, who is out living on her own and caring for her 8 young cousins. She's being pressured into marrying a man she doesn't want to in order to regain her castle and she seeks out another clan - the Fraser's for help. They can't help her, but Kenneth Fraser is intrigued by her and wants to do whatever he can to make her life a little better. And so he stops by her hut, gets snowed in and they fall in love. Plenty of angst ensues, but this is a very sweet, very tender romance. It's not overly passionate, but the attraction between them is good. I liked this story quite a bit.

Boxing Day - Jill Barnett - 4/5 - A very cute and very unconventional story set at the turn of the century in New York. Conn is an ex-boxer who runs a gym and Eleanor is his seemingly annoying landlady. Only she's been in love with him forever...but she's a 40-year-old spinster who is quite lonely and he's a 32-year-old boxer and they do nothing but irritate one another. So what sort of future could they have? There are moments in this book when you FEEL Eleanor's loneliness and her desperation for meaningful relationships. She focuses on how old she is, but in a way she's very naive and innocent. And Conn sees it. The characters don't have much depth (with the exception of Eleanor's emotions...that I felt deeply) but they are perfect for the story. I think they're angsty moment could have been a bit more fleshed out - it didn't feel realistic and Conn gave up to easily - but it was a beautiful story.

The Best Husband Money Can Buy - Mary Jo Putney - 2/5 - The heroine comes into quite a bit of unexpected money and decides she needs a husband who is seeking a fortune, since she can't attract one, being so plain and all. She pretty much decides on her "distant" cousin who she's been in love with since she was a child and saw him at all those big family gatherings. He's a slightly bitter wastrel whose previous love, another "distant" cousin Cecilia, left him for their other cousin, Brendan. So they marry and have to make a go out of it. This seems a very incestuous family. I'm not typically disturbed by distant cousins marrying, but when you describe both characters as having the family looks, it gets a bit squicky. Also, the characters didn't have much in the way of chemistry and their switch from friends to lovers didn't feel natural. It felt a bit too sudden really. It wasn't awful, but it didn't hold my interest very well.

A Light in the Window - Justine Dare - 3/5 - Morgan Blaine is a wanderer with no attachments. One snowy night he stumbles upon a house with a light in the window where Zach and his Aunt Faith live. Zach is overcoming the grief of losing his mother and Faith is trying to get him to stop hating her and give him the love and secure home that he needs. And she has some major self esteem issues to overcome. While Morgan is there he facilitates their healing and finds a family he could be a part of. This one was pretty sweet. I wish we'd had a bit of an epilogue with it, so we could see how Zach was doing, but it was a nice solid little story with a very sweet romance. I liked how Morgan gradually opened himself up to Faith and Zach and even his little angsty fight with himself over leaving them .

[Ashley Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an anthology featuring the stories as follows:

The Snow Rose by Susan King (5 stars)
This was an incredibly sweet story and I absolutely loved it. I loved the romance between Catriona MacDonald and Kenneth Fraser who were from families that had feuded for a long time. In fact Catriona's father was killed by a Fraser before she was born and Kenneth's was killed by a MacDonald. Catriona's mother saved the leader of the Fraser clan while still in childbed, he gave her daughter a brooch, she named the Snow Rose, with a promise of protection and said if she ever needed him to come for him. Read more to find out.

The Best Husband Money Can Buy by Mary Jo Putney (5 stars)
Emma (a governess) inherited a fortune when she prayed for a man she did not know who had died. He didn't have anyone and said that the person who prayed for him and signed his card saying they had prayed would win his fortune. She quit her job as governess and decided she would marry a man she had loved since she was a child. He needed money to save his home and she would provide the money for him to save it and he would marry her. I really enjoyed this story!

A Light in the Window by Justine Dare (5 stars)
This is a heartwarming tale of love and forgiveness that I found very endearing. I loved how Morgan interacted with Faith and Zach (her orphaned nephew). I loved how he helped them establish a relationship with each other and how she provided the love and forgiveness he had never had in his own life.

Boxing Day by Jill Barnett (5 stars)
This was a great romantic tale of a retired boxer and his landlady - they fight like crazy but they fall in love. She has fears of being older - will she move past them and latch on to the love of a lifetime or will she let them tear them apart? Read to find out.

[Laurie (barksbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grabbed this one with great expectations because it contained stories by two of my favorite authors and two other authors that I hadn't read but have heard good things about. And the rare thing happened, all of my expectations were met and I discovered a new author (King) whose backlist I'm probably going to track down.

The King story ["Snow Rose"] set in the Scottish Highlands is probably my favorite. I found it tender, sensual and gripping and all of the little historical details really placed me in the time period.

The Barnett story ["Boxing Day" - set in Victorian New York] was my second favorite, it was funny and witty, light and really hit the spot, the hero was very lovable and the heroine was an *older* woman.

The Putney story ["The Best Husband Money Can Buy" - set in Regency England] was also great about a woman who buys herself a hubby but I have to admit I was a little bothered by the fact that they were cousins (I know this was acceptable during that time but it still makes me squirm).

The Dare story ["A Light in the Window" - set in late 1800s Wyoming] was good but probably my least favorite because I felt it was too short and that she wasn't given enough space to fully develop her characters. I highly recommend this anthology for those who like 'em.

[Phyllis Barlow · Rating 3 out of 5]

I generally don't like novellas because there is not enough story/character development. I only read this one because someone gave it to me. I'm happy to say I was wrong about this one. True, the tales were short, but I feel like I got a pretty good sense of the characters. I can't really pick a favorite; they all had their good points, but if I had to pick favorites, I would say The Best Husband Money Can Buy because I have always loved Regency romances, and I liked the fact that even though her "intended" was not thought of very highly, in the end he redeemed himself. My next choice would be Boxing Day because the heroine was not some meek little 18-year-old. We need to see more romances featuring older women. After all, we don't dry up and blow away at 30!! A very enjoyable read altogether. If you like books that feature women who know how to speak up for themselves, and men who appreciate them, you will like this one.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novellas seem to be the theme for what I read in June. This book is another volume of four novellas, this time without the fantasy aspect and with more of the romance. All four stories were set in different historical times and places but all occurred in and around Christmas time. I really enjoyed reading the book--a very light, entertaining way to spend a day (or several afternoons, rather). The stories were just...lovely...and made me feel happy and peaceful. I found it in a used book store in Goldendale, WA. Excellent purchase!

[Ilze · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars for Mary Jo Putney's and Susan King's stories. Both had features I liked, but they were both trite and annoying in other respects, for example the omniscient Dowager Duchess in Mary Jo Putney's and the old superstitions in Susan King's, although the description of the old New Year's traditions in Scotland is interesting. (You could say that I want the cake - the old traditions - without the calories - the old superstitions -, but I guess you can't really separate the two.)

Didn't read the other 2.

[Fedora · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very lovely collection of holiday stories--they pretty much all hit the spot for me. Some themes I'm especially fond of--an older woman who's "on the shelf," a plain sister stepping in to care for her sister's orphaned son, a plain woman who comes into an unexpected inheritance and deciding to buy herself the groom of her dreams... I'm keeping this collection to reread :)

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

Och lassie, blah blah blah blah Healing Power of Love blah blah blah blah Miracle of Christmas blah blah blah blah, ye ken?

As always, MJP is worth reading. But never before have so many deeply troubled souls found happiness so quickly.

[BJ Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually love these Christmas anthologies, but my favorite authors disappoint in this one. "A Light in the Window" by Justin Dare stands out in this quartet and shows the true Christmas spirit.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Christmas anthologies.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute. :)

[Sherry Gripman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good entertainment for the holidays. My favorite was Snow Rose by Susan King.

[Sharon Sherman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good Christmas book to put you in the mood.

[Whitney xavier · Rating 2 out of 5]

only ready Mary Jo Putney

[Aarti Kanojia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love christmas stories and this one has 4. And since I am a fan of Jill Barnett, this was an easy pick. I've not been disappointed.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four historical romances set at Christmas time. I enjoyed all the stories, especially the one by Mary Jo Putney.