Gifts of Love

by Lisa Kleypas, Kay Hooper

In this glorious season of light and joy, the phenomenal Kay Hooper and the incomparable Lisa Kleypas offer readers a pair of precious jewels—timeless love stories that sparkle like diamonds.

In Kay Hooper's Holiday Spirit, a matchmaking grandmother and three Christmas ghosts arrange a sensuous reunion for a headstrong noblewoman and her seductive former fiancé. And in Surrender, Lisa Kleypas has a beautiful, aristocratic Bostonian discover the true meaning of giving when she falls tenderly and passionately in love with a troubled stranger: her husband.

Open these golden Gifts of Love and surrender your heart—for 'tis the season for romance!

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

326 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 31, 2006

About the author

LISA KLEYPAS is the RITA award-winning author of 21 novels. Her books are published in fourteen languages and are bestsellers all over the world. She lives in Washington State with her husband and two children.

Reviews

[ShoSho · Rating 3 out of 5]

Both stories had great promises but none of the lived up to what I was expecting. The first one by Kay Hooper was a bit better.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought I had read absolutely everything by Lisa Kleypas (my favorite HR author) Delighted to come across this book and of course read her story first! Nice, relaxing holiday read.

[TJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very nice diversion during the very busy Christmas season by two great authors. I personally enjoyed Ms. Kleypas’ immensely, although as I always do, wished it could have been a full length novel rather than a novella. Ms. Hooper’s story was different. Not sure I really caught the whole ghost, betrayal, misunderstanding vibe as well as others might. But, both women really know how to pen a story beautifully, so for fine writing in short increments, these two gifted authors did a delightfully lovely job!

[Gilgamesha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kleypas' Surrender was very similar to Lions and Laces.....but the perfect amount of angst intermingled with sweetness...longing with love...and want with fulfillment. I love love loved it. Greatread :)

[☀︎El In Oz☀︎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5

Holiday Spirits by Kay Hooper - 3/5

I LOVE GHOSTS. Christmas ghosts ESPECIALLY. That being said I wish they had been scary ghosts….
I didn’t really like the main character of this one and wished the main characters had been together more. I also wished we had the guy’s POV! But I mean I loved the setting. Go Wales!!!


Surrender by Lisa Kleypas - 3/5

Lisa my Queen!!! I felt this should have been a full novel, the problems I think were too quickly fixed. But I don’t like marriage in crisis novels so I’m afraid this one may have just never worked for me. Go Ireland though!

[Desi · Rating 4 out of 5]

leído en Mayo 2011


Me gustó...

ESPIRITU NAVIDEÑO
Dentro de la Antología Regalos de Amor.

Una abuela casamentera y tres fantasmas de las Navidades arreglan una sensual reunión entre Antonia, una testaruda joven de la nobleza, yRichard, su antiguo y seductor prometido.

[Sheila Melo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an anthology of two unrelated novellas.

HOLIDAY SPIRIT by Kay Hooper: Lady Antonia Wingate and Richard Allerton, Duke of Lyonshall were engaged and seemingly in love when Antonia abruptly broke off their engagement. Several years later, Antonia's grandmother has invited Richard to a "house party" where he is the only non-family guest. While her grandmother attempts to rekindle Antonia and Richard's romance, the two are privy to the ghostly romance of prior inhabitants of the castle. I really enjoyed this story. The romance plot is pretty standard, but the addition of the ghost story and the interfering grandmother gave this story some extra interest. Rating: 4 stars.

SURRENDER by Lisa Kleypas: Jason and Laura Moran are newly married but not happily. Jason believes that Laura is contemptuous of him because of his humble beginnings. Laura fears Jason's coldness. The two have the chance to save their new marriage if they can speak their hearts to one another. I really like stories about married couples. This one, however, was just okay for me. Perhaps their problems needed more pages to be explored and solved or perhaps I didn't feel that the characters were complex enough to explore the problems presented. For whatever reason, I liked the story but didn't find it particularly memorable or remarkable. Rating: 3 stars.This review was originally posted on Top10RomanceBooks.com

[RedRedtheycallmeRed · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this because I really like Lisa Kleypas' books, though this isn't on par with most of the stuff I've read from her. Jason was so full of self-loathing about his Irish roots, and he was a jerk most of the time. Laura was more patient and understanding than he probably deserved.

I don't think I read the blurb for Holiday Spirit, I didn't realize it was partly a ghost story. Really there wasn't enough story without the ghosts, and I found myself skimming a lot.

[Rachel J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surrender by Lisa Kleypas

I only read the Lisa Kleypas novella Surrender. This one was not my favorite and I don’t see myself rereading it, but since I’m tracking down every Kleypas book written I’m glad I read it. The characters were too unlikeable, the novella wasn’t long enough to really resonate with me emotionally.

[phoebess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surrender by Lisa Kleypas was a good story but not a great one. I think longer stories (or novels) suit her writing and storytelling skills much, much better.

[Shawna · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars - Historical Romance

Rating/review for Surrender by Lisa Kleypas.

[Sruthi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read only Lisa Kleypas, It was good for an Anthology.

[Julianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed for www.thcreviews.com

"4.5 stars overall"
Holiday Spirit by Kay Hooper – Although Holiday Spirit had the well-worn romance novel cliché of a misunderstanding coupled with a lack of communication as it's main premise, there was the added uniqueness of some ghostly characters and the intrigue of the ill-fated love affair of Antonia's ancestors to help enliven the plot. Sometimes in a novella, it can be difficult for the author to fully capture the essence of their characters, but Kay Hooper made good use of the short story format to make me care about her characters, both human and ghost. I enjoyed finding out the history of the ghostly lovers right along with the heroine. While their story was both romantic and tragic, they, with a little help from Antonia's grandmother, were able to bring about a reconciliation between Antonia and Richard, which I also enjoyed reading. I tend to like stories about lost love that is found again. The Christmas theme was secondary to the rest of the story, but I think there is no greater gift one can give or receive during the holidays besides love. Overall, I found Holiday Spirit to be a quick and easy read that held my attention well with it's light mystery surrounding the tragic lovers, while at the same time being very romantic and sensuous. This was the first time I had read anything by Kay Hooper, and I will definitely be checking out other works by her in the future. Rating: ****

Surrender by Lisa Kleypas – For a short story, I thought that Surrender was quite well written. It can be difficult in the novella format for an author to fully develop the characters and plot, but Lisa Kleypas has done a masterful job. I found both Jason and Laura to be likable characters. For all his brooding cynicism on the outside, Jason was kind and sensitive on the inside, and for all her tension and fearfulness on the outside, Laura was spirited and passionate on the inside. I enjoyed reading the story of a couple, who even after two months of marriage really don't know each other at all, but were able to discover new levels of intimacy in their relationship. Being part Irish, I also liked reading about the Irish immigrants of that era, including all the prejudices and poverty that they suffered. This element just made the story seem more realistic. The “opposite sides of the tracks” aspect of the story was very appealing, and I found the Victorian Boston setting to be rather unique, as I haven't read any other romance stories in that setting. The story is also infused with plenty of Ms. Kleypas' trademark loving sensuality, which I personally find very beautiful. Overall, I thought that Surrender was a wonderfully romantic novella that is on par with Ms. Kleypas' full-length novels, and one that I highly enjoyed reading. It reminded me in many ways of her book, Again the Magic. Surrender has earned a spot on my keeper shelf alongside several of Ms. Kleypas' other works. Rating: ****1/2

Note: Both of these stories are reissues that were previously seen in other holiday-themed anthologies.

[Angela Noviana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gifts of Love terdiri atas dua cerita pendek, saking pendeknya sampai tulisannya cukup besar, margin atas dan bawah juga cukup besar :P

Kedua ceritanya sama-sama pendek dan menghibur. Aku suka sama cara Richard dalam Holiday Spirit untuk mendapatkan Toni kembali. Kesabarannya dalam menghadapi Toni patut diacungi jempol. Kadang-kadang si Toni bikin aku kesal karena dia gak mau dengar cerita dari sisi Richard. Huh!

Sesuai dengan judul ceritanya, Surrender, bercerita mengenai cara Jason membuat istrinya luluh kepadanya. So sweet banget deh dia walaupun awalnya si Jason tuh ngeselin abis, kayak keras kepala gitu loh, gak mau dengerin saran orang. Tapi pada akhirnya dia mau berubah demi cintanya pada Laura.

Sayang ya ceritanya pendek, tapi aku puas sih. Adegan hot-nya eksplisit dan mayan detail.

[Perdani Budiarti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ternyata aku melakukan baca ulang buku ini tanpa menyadari kalau aku pernah membacanya 6 tahun yang lalu 😂

Apa sangking tidak berkesannya dua cerita di buku ini ya kok sampai nggak ngeh sama sekali dengan alur ceritanya? Atau mungkin karena perbedaan bahasa dari dua versi yang kubaca? Entahlah.

Kalau di tahun 2013, aku membaca versi cetak dari Penerbit Dastan yang kupinjam dari persewaan buku langganan, di tahun 2019 ini yang kubaca adalah versi ebook berbahasa Inggris-nya.

Yang jelas aku kaget tadi menemukan buku ini sudah aku beri bintang 4 padahal setelah kubaca semalam buku ini cukup bintang 3 saja. Dan itu pun karena faktor cerita yang kedua saja yang lebih agak berkonflik yang rasional daripada cerita pertama yang rasanya terlalu berat sebelah konflik di awalnya.

[Jujubee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lisa Kleypas writes a heartfelt love story of trust over prejudices in old Boston. Jason and Laura's story truly touch the season of giving...worth adding to your library just for this one alone...4 solid stars.
First time I've read Kay Hooper. Her tale is also of trust, played out in two different realities...one that is in ghostly images. I liked the hero Richard, his reactions to circumstances felt believable. But the heroine Laura did not show enuf deepth of reasoning or common sense despite her age. With all the Gothic overtones of stormy nights in a castle with ancestral apparitions, this story fell short in delivering any true passion for me. Still, a good overall read. I rate it at 3 stars.

[Lady · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this book to read Surrender by Lisa Kleypas, a self made Bostonian whose impoverish Irish decendency prevents his entrance into aristocracy.

I did not feel this was Ms. Kleypas better publication. I read the story before, it was boring then, currently my thoughts haven't changed.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an anthology of 2 separate and unrelated short stories by 2 different authors. I have read books by both authors and I have really wanted to read some easy Holiday books to get me into the spirit of Christmas. Everything is so crazy and different this year due to COVID that I find myself seeking out anything that reminds me of “normal”. I found this book when I was browsing my library’s ebook selections and decided to go with it.

The first story, Holiday Spirit, by Kay Hooper was a regency romance short story. Antonia and Richard’s romance is fizzling out and Antonia’s grandmother is plotting to make the couple spend time together so they can reconnect and find the love they have always had for each other. I loved the addition of ghosts because it reminded me of Dickens “The Christmas Carol”. The holiday theme is more of a backdrop in this story, but I loved watching the couple rekindle their love for each other with the help of Antonia’s grandmother. I have read quite a few books by Kay Hooper and was very impressed in her romance writing style.

The second story, Surrender, by Lisa Kleypas was about a newly married couple, Laura and Jason, whose relationship is on the rocks because they just can’t figure out how to communicate with each other. The setting is in Boston and Laura comes from a very wealthy family, and Jason a wealthy industrialist who came from a poverty stricken Irish family during a time when there are many prejudices against the Irish. The inability to talk about their real feelings has their relationship spiraling. It was if they really didn’t know each other at all from the very beginning of their marriage. Jason

It takes place in Boston and Jason has worked hard to become a self made man to be able to finally separate himself from his poor youth. He has worked hard to become a self made man after coming from a very modest beginning. Jason has strived for years to distance himself from his Irish heritage. This was in a time when the Irish were often in poverty and there were many obstacles that stood in the way of anyone of Irish descent. Many people held deep prejudices against the Irish and Jason wanted to be separate from that world. He meets Laura Prescott, a Boston, old money, wealthy young woman when she was 15 years old when he travels with his friend from Harvard. Laura is his younger sister and Jason vows the first time he meets her that he is going to make Laura his wife.

Fast forward 5 years and now Jason and Laura have been married for 2 months. Jason still feels inadequate in his relationship with Laura and is unable to let go of his own feelings of inadequacy. I must say that in this part of the book, Jason is an absolute ass. Deep down Jason still feels like that poor Irish kid that grew up with only having his basic needs met and still feels the sting of the taunts he received as a kid because he is Irish. And he takes it out on Laura. The love of his life, but in real life there have been multiple psychological studies that the easiest person to scapegoat, to get angry at, and to treat like garbage is your spouse because spouses are “safe” people to vent your feelings to when you are actually feeling bad about yourself. So Jason takes this road and treats Laura terribly because he is having his own feelings of inadequacy and the “safest” person to vent these, often tirades, are spouses. Thankfully, Jason comes to his senses and realizes he has to make a change because he is at risk of losing Laura for good.

As you can probably see, I liked the Lisa Klepas novella much more than the Hooper story, but they really were both pretty good short stories. I’m glad that I’ve been reading some easy, light, and fun books. I’m usually a mystery reader, but with COVID, I think I’ve been seeking things out that make me feel happy and good. I’m glad I read this book. I would recommend it to anyone who likes romance novels. I’m very happy to be rating this 4 stars!! ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Lady E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holiday Spirit by Kay Hooper

Heroine: Antonia Wingate, 21. Nickname: Toni.

Hero: Richard Allerton, about 35. Duke of Lyonshall.

Date: unknown

Overview: Toni and Richard had previously been engaged, but she broke things off two years prior. Her grandmother invites Richard to spend Christmas with them in her remote estate, hoping they will patch things up. Toni and Richard are given bedrooms in a remote wing and soon learn it is haunted. They observe two ghosts, who are lovers, as well as a couple of other ghosts. It is as if the ghosts are working to bring them together. Eventually they have a talk where Richard finally learns why Toni broke things off. He offers a different perspective, but Toni has to figure out if she can trust him.

Verdict: The story was an interesting concept using ghosts as side characters, but didn’t quite work for me. I didn’t find either main character particularly compelling and had an issue with how quickly the heroine abandoned her moral stance against the hero. I felt the first intimate scene lacked clear consent on the heroine’s part. The hero and heroine got to know each other off-page previous to the timeframe of this book (presumably when an emotional connection was built), and this part of their story seemed very lust-driven.

Steam-level: steamy and explicit

Rating: 3 stars



Surrender by Lisa Kleypas

Heroine: Laura Prescott, 20

Hero: Jason Moran, 25

Date: 1880 (prologue 1875)

Overview: Laura met Jason as a teenager when he visited her home as her brother’s friend. Five years later, Jason, a wealthy man from very humble beginnings, arranged a marriage to her with her father who was greatly in need of money. The marriage gets off to a rocky start because Laura is utterly naïve about intimate relationships and Jason is insecure and believes Laura’s upper class background must mean she looks down on him, both due to his Irish heritage and that he has worked to get his money. The two have never truly talked and each thinks the other is disappointed with them. Laura’s brother learns about the problem (he has since fallen out with Jason), but works to help get their marriage on the right track. Laura and Jason finally talk and start building a relationship, but not without setbacks from their insecurities.

Verdict: This marriage-in-trouble story shows a progression of personal growth for both hero and heroine, however, the story seems incomplete since by the end the marriage still didn’t feel like it was on totally solid ground. This was probably too much emotional ground to cover in a short story.

Steam-level: steamy and moderately explicit

Rating: 3 stars

[Madison ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is two short stories put together - in the first one, Holiday Spirit, I would give somewhere around 2 stars. I must have picked it up 3 nights straight and only read about 10 pages each time - I just couldn’t get into it and kept losing interest fast. For a short story, that one felt surprisingly long to actually get going and I ended up skimming most of the middle. Antonia is a young woman who was engaged to the Duke of Lyonshall, but breaks off their engagement two years ago due to “mysterious” news that felt over dramatized as making her hate her fiancé Lyonshall’s old mistress came to her and told lies about how they were still together and without even talking to Lyonshall she believes her. They’re both staying at Antonia’s grandma’s estate during Christmas with Lyonshall having high hopes that he can figure out what happened to end their relationship and how to mend it. There’s an odd parallel with some ghosts at the estate who are also caught in a lovers quarrel, but overall, I just couldn’t care less about the characters. Maybe if we got to see them when they were falling in love and when Antonia felt betrayed I would have felt a connection, but getting the story afterwards felt a bit like missing the good points.

The second story, Surrender, is by Kleypas and since I love her as an author I had higher hopes for this one. It takes place in Boston with Laura coming from a wealthy blue-blood family, and Jason a wealthy industrialist who came from a poverty stricken Irish family during a time when there are many prejudices against the Irish. Most of the story is Jason feeling like he overstepped himself by marrying Laura - and thinking that she held his heritage against him. The story is a bit more simple and focuses on Laura and Jason coming together to make their marriage work and understand the other. This one gets 3 ½ stars from me (mostly because short stories don’t have the same opportunity to make me love the characters, but this one did a much better job). I think because I read these winter Christmastime stories during a warm spring day, it made me feel a bit less connected to them. But overall, an okay way to spend an afternoon.

[Isabel Luna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Muy buena historia de Lisa Kleypas, con el tema de las diferencias sociales entre Bostonianos e inmigrantes irlandeses, obviamente inspirada en "Encajes y Pecados" q fue un novelón precioso.
Me encantó Laura, q es un personaje sin pretensiones, pero igualmente fresco y libre; y obviamente me encantó Jason, q tampoco ofrece muchas novedades en cuanto a su personalidad decidida de macho alfa; pero ambos logran convencer en forma individual y como pareja. También hay buena elección e intervención de personajes secundarios y el final, sin grandes sorpresas y tal vez x eso un poco flojo.
En la temática de relato corto cumple, pero te deja con las ganas. Creo q la trama daba para mucho más xq toca un segmento de tiempo y espacio q podía ser explotado en aras de una historia romántica con mucho drama familiar, involucrando a dos mundos tan distintos y tan alejados a pesar de haber respirado exactamente el mismo aire en la misma época.
La historia completa de Jason y de sus complejos, de Lauran curando sus heridas despacito, pacito a pacito, todo aderezado con la intervención de una villana del calibre de la prejuicio Whilemina decidida a q la pareja no sea feliz xq un matrimonio así está destinado al fracaso, y ella lo va demostrar...uff, se me fue la imaginación. Perdón, pero es una historia de Lisa Kleypas y generalmente ella lograr q se me desborde, lol!!!!;)

[Phoenix · Rating 3 out of 5]

Haven't read Kay Hooper in ages but I have very vague and fond memories of reading her old school romances when they were considered new. Her contribution to this duet was a ghost story which mirrored Richard and Toni's relationship - the lies told by his former mistress that drove Toni to call off their engagement with no explanation. Definitely old school in making another woman the villan.
Lisa Kleypas' novella was also old school in that the hero was a proud Irish man who didn't think he was good enough for his Boston Brahmin wife....shades of Rhys Winterbourne since he grew up poor to a father who was a grocer and he pulled himself up by the bootstraps by excelling at school, going to Harvard and building a real estate empire.

[Amana Shahid Ullah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed both the stories.

Holiday Spirit - Kay Hooper

This was something different yet I really liked it. Antonia and Richard, very much still in love are forced under the same roof due to bad weather and some clever plotting by a wellwisher. Amongst rediscovering their passion, they also ghostly encounters of ancestors and witness a tragic end to a great love and realize their blessing of a second chance at their love. It was a beautiful story.

Surrender - Lisa Kleypas.

What's not to love? It's LK. A willing caring, compassionate heroine and a stubborn, self made man with troubled past, coming together and falling in love. I loved it.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short book, but very good to read. The hero has been interested in her since the age of 15. He is friends with her brother and met her when they were still college buddies. He was poor, she was rich. She married him, believing it was just a way for him to achieve social status. He married her wanting status but fulfilling a dream of having her. This social class difference will get in the way of her relationship throughout the book. But after being scolded by her brother, he and she begin to understand each other and become more and more involved. He is more prejudiced than she is, and she wants him to forget those differences in order to be happy.

[Chi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holiday Spirit - 4

This was a rather sweet, second chance story.

There are ghosts, betrayals, heartbreaks galore. I admit, I was a little confused as to how the OW's story fit in within the timeline of the story, but it was otherwise a good read.

Surrender - 4

I quite liked this one too, a story borne out of a misunderstanding between a couple who were only married for two months, but had not been able to surmount their differences without some interference and assistance from Laura's siblings.

[Contina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has always been one of my favorite holiday tales. I can read the story of Jason and Laura over and over again. If you read the book in which Jason first appear, you know why he needed a story of his own.
I totally enjoyed the Holiday Spirit, I mean who doesn't like a little spook with romance.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not read the Hooper story. I do not care for stories with ghosts.

Jason and Laura

They are a two month married couple that really do not know each other at all. Her brother, Hale, gives Jason a "light bulb" talk and their problems begin to work themselves out. I enjoyed the story and the comeuppance of a secondary character towards the end.

[Kim Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heart tigger!

Lisa Kleypas has an engaging way of telling a story. She can start out with a naive young maiden that encounters a bitter and or broken hero and becomes his balm. In the process of his healing, the naïve maiden becomes the heroine that enlightens the hero and saves the day.

[genia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Both stories are great christmas tales. I personally adore Holiday Spirit more. Toni is so easy to love! However, through Surrender, I finally understand as to why do servants in Northanger Abbey have Irish accents.

[Wanda Holter · Rating 5 out of 5]

The stories left me wanting more from each, wanting answers to what I felt were left hanging. (Story #1)Did the ghosts return every year? (Story #2) Was the family included at Christmas, did she return for a visit? Did they ever go on their trip, or did she end up with a child?