Christmas at Thorne Manor: A Trio of Holiday Novellas

A Stitch in Time #1.5, 2.5, 3.5

by Kelley Armstrong

Please note: This is a paperback compilation of three previously released holiday novellas.

Butterflies & Ballgowns
The North Yorkshire moors are always a magical place, but they're particularly enchanting at the holidays...especially if one gets to travel back in time to a Victorian Christmas. For Bronwyn Dale, it is the stuff of dreams. Fancy-dress balls, quirky small-town traditions, even that classic one-horse open sleigh, complete with jingle bells. There's just the tiny problem of the Butterfly Effect. How does a time-traveler make a difference without disrupting the future forever?

Snowstorms & Sleigh Bells
It's a Victorian Christmas at Thorne Manor, and Rosalind Courtenay is staying far, far away from the door that leads to the twenty-first century. It took her four years to get back home, and she's never going near the time stitch again. But her five-year-old son has other plans, and Rosalind finds herself plunged back into the modern world, where she decides to face her fears and give her family the holiday gift of a lifetime. Once again, Fate has other ideas, sending a blizzard to derail Rosalind's cautious planning and toss them all into a whirlwind of savage snowstorms, spectral sleigh bells and, perhaps, a Christmas ghost or two.

Ghosts & Garlands
Victorian novelist Miranda Hastings is in London for a modern-day Christmas with the man she loves, and they want to see everything. Luckily, they have friends who are going to make sure they get their wish. They're sent on a whirlwind holiday adventure, following their friends' mysterious messages...until an encounter with a ghost who was part of an infamous gang of highwaymen. Murder, mystery, and a ghost in need? Now that's Miranda's idea of a holiday treat.

Genres: Time Travel, Romance, Christmas, Historical Fiction, Audiobook, Short Stories, Holiday

288 pages, Paperback

First published November 15, 2022

About the author

Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers' dismay. All efforts to make her produce "normal" stories failed.

Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of the NYT-bestselling "Women of the Otherworld" paranormal suspense series and "Darkest Powers" young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.

Reviews

[Mallory · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Stitch in Time is one of my favorite series to revisit when I need something light and happy. These historical romance stories have a magical twist and the characters live in between two different time periods. While William and Bronwyn have always been and always will be my favorites I love all the characters this series has introduced me to. These stories were lovely places to revisit and helps since I know this series is finished (although if I don’t read the last book is it truly done?). All of these stories were sweet holiday stories and while the holidays have lost some of their magic for me, these were one of the things that’s brought me closest to feeling the holiday magic.

[Gawelleb · Rating 4 out of 5]

C’était très mignon, j’ai beaucoup aimé ! Ce n’est pas tant un 4 qu’un 4,5 mais j’ai préféré le roman principal.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bit late but I really liked this!

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story about when Grenwyn returns from America to William , at Thorn Manor. This time as his wife, and 6 months pregnant. She has been there as a child, a teen, a young woman, after her Aunt who owned it died. Now she is the owner of it. William of course through a rip in time , is the real owner during the Victorian era. She will stay and meet her neighbors, and enjoy a true Victorian Christmas. It has other books in the novel about the year and time and the life of how the couple met, and other stories about the Manor. I have read the whole series, but not Christmas T Thorne Manor. I really found it most pleasant. They are certainly excited parents to be. I loved all the Victorian Christmas recipes behind the treats we have read for ages in other books. Plus games now to us. I gave it 5 stars.

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

High Thornesbury, North Yorkshire, England. Present day. Kelley Armstrong’s Christmas at Thorne Manor (A Stitch in Time #1.5, 2.5, 3.5) are three novellas with three couples who time-travel through a ‘time stitch’ which is located in Thorne Manor. The author has very cleverly written these novellas which have each couple either going from the 21st c. to the Victorian era, from the Victorian era to visit/revisit the 21st c., and lastly, a vacation in London in 21st c. for a couple where the woman had traveled to the late 1700s where she meets a pirate whom she discovers she adores. They return to the 1800s (Victorian era), and ultimately, this couple vacation in the 21st c. I must admit that I postponed reading the last novella, Ghosts and Garlands, because I had read the book detailing Miranda and Nicolas’ adventures, and I am living in the 21st c., and I could not picture how the author could write Ghosts and Garlands which would interest me. I was so wrong. Miranda and Nicolas’ trip to London could not have been written in a more fascinating and charming fashion. Brilliant and enjoyable! Well done, Ms.Armstrong!! 5 stars!

[L & J Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a trio of novellas that all center around Thorne manor, where a stitch in time allows certain people who walk across over a spot in one room in the manor to travel to a time in the past or, in some cases, into the future. The stories are compelling-I had read some of the earlier books in the series involving some of the characters in two of these novellas but not all three and having finished this book has strongly encouraged me to go back and read the books in the series that I have not yet read. The author is a very accomplished storyteller and this book, like many of her previous novels, is well written.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't expect a plot here because it's minimal. But it is a sweet look at the time-traveling families of Thorne Manor at Christmas.

Oh, and a note about the 2nd narrator, Ava Lucas: her British accent was not real and was in fact, too much. She overly exaggerated her rounded vowels. (Like the person who does the voice-over for Viking river cruises and really punches her rounded vowels.) It's absolutely a personal preference and it probably didn't bother most people, but I found it jarring.

[Kylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun collection of novellas! Each one is written to have the same relationship we've known and loved from the full-length books, with ghosts and romance and humor on every page. The added twist is that each novellas includes a wonderful hint at the plot to the next book in the series, something I recognized having listened to this collection after finishing the series. Kelley Armstrong is decidedly one of my favorite authors now, and I'll recommend her every opportunity I find.

[Linda Lassman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This should be a 4.5 star rating, but I can't do that. I really enjoyed these novellas and the peek at what happened to these couples after the end of "their" stories. I was particularly happy that although I didn't care for A Turn of the Tide (Miranda and Nicolas' story) very much, I quite enjoyed their novella, Ghosts & Garlands, even though I didn't find the end as satisfying as the other two.

[April Scially · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wicked fun for all three time traveling couples from the main books in this series.

[Diane Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well I like the concept of time travel and the books before this novellas sound intriguing, nothing much really happened in these novellas.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a short story fan, but theses are delightful glimpses into a time traveling family

[Cherryonion · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been reading these short stories between the main books and they're fun, but they don't really add much to the series. Also they're again a bit Hallmark and sickly sweet for my liking.

[Sonja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Definitely looking for the next!

[Sharon Elletson · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are a fan of the Stitch in Time (time travel romance) series, then you'll be a fan of these little novelleas.

[Dave Hale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kelley has done it again! 3 Masterful little stories that all concluded before I was ready for them to finish. All three delightful, transporting the reader into the Christmas spirit.

[Marjo · Rating 3 out of 5]

That was nice.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christmas reading at its finest.

[Veray · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was so fun to return to Thorne Manor and watch as each couple has a Christmas experience traveling through time and meeting ghosts along the way.

[Niki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick and easy Christmas romances.