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Under The Mistletoe
In this beautifully written “Christmas gift to her readers” (Booklist), New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh draws on the warmth of the Christmas season to heal the wounds of the human heart in five holiday historical romance novellas of family, friends, lovers, and strangers.... In A Family Christmas, an estranged husband and wife make an unexpected connection—and an illuminating discovery—during the holiday season. The Star of Bethlehem is a lost diamond ring causing a riff in an already troubled marriage until a servant solves not one mystery but three surrounding its disappearance. The Best Gift can come at the most unexpected moments, especially for a lonesome teacher enlisted over the holidays to chaperon the niece of a notorious rake. Playing House finds an impoverished young woman longing to celebrate just one last, joyous Christmas before she and her orphaned siblings are separated forever. And in No Room at the Inn, a winter storm on Christmas Eve brings a young couple in from the cold, desperately in need of warmth and shelter for their unborn child.
249 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2003
178 people are currently reading
1419 people want to read
About the author
Mary Balogh
200 books6,342 followersMary Jenkins was born in 1944 in Swansea, Wales, UK. After graduating from university, moved to Saskatchewan, Canada, to teach high school English, on a two-year teaching contract in 1967. She married her Canadian husband, Robert Balogh, and had three children, Jacqueline, Christopher and Sian. When she's not writing, she enjoys reading, music and knitting. She also enjoys watching tennis and curling.
Mary Balogh started writing in the evenings as a hobby. Her first book, a Regency love story, was published in 1985 as A Masked Deception under her married name. In 1988, she retired from teaching after 20 years to pursue her dream to write full-time. She has written more than seventy novels and almost thirty novellas since then, including the New York Times bestselling 'Slightly' sextet and 'Simply' quartet. She has won numerous awards, including Bestselling Historical of the Year from the Borders Group, and her novel Simply Magic was a finalist in the Quill Awards. She has won seven Waldenbooks Awards and two B. Dalton Awards for her bestselling novels, as well as a Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award.
Mary Balogh started writing in the evenings as a hobby. Her first book, a Regency love story, was published in 1985 as A Masked Deception under her married name. In 1988, she retired from teaching after 20 years to pursue her dream to write full-time. She has written more than seventy novels and almost thirty novellas since then, including the New York Times bestselling 'Slightly' sextet and 'Simply' quartet. She has won numerous awards, including Bestselling Historical of the Year from the Borders Group, and her novel Simply Magic was a finalist in the Quill Awards. She has won seven Waldenbooks Awards and two B. Dalton Awards for her bestselling novels, as well as a Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award.
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December 27, 2018
3 Estrellas. En éste caso he decidido leer un par de relatos cortos navideños de Mary Balogh, pero no la antología entera, creo que reservaré los que quedan para las navidades del año próximo. Los dos relatos que he leído son los siguientes:
The Star of Bethlehem:
El primer relato que he leído, “The Star of Bethlehem”, se publicó originalmente en la antología “Regency Christmas I”. En él, Mary Balogh nos presenta a su pareja protagonista, los condes de Lisle. A ojos de todos son el matrimonio perfecto, joven, bien avenido y afectuoso. Pero tras dos años de matrimonio, no son tan cercanos como todos creen; a ojos de Allan, Estelle es demasiado voluble y afectuosa con otros caballeros, y para Estelle, Allan es demasiado frío y distante. Pronto el lector se dará cuenta de que el problema de éste matrimonio es la falta de comunicación.
Allan y Estelle llevan dos años casados, en su compromiso, Allan le regaló un anillo con un diamante y zafiros que Estelle llamó “La Estrella de Belén”, ahora, a pocas semanas de Navidad, Estelle ha perdido el anillo, y con él, todas sus esperanzas de recuperar su matrimonio. ¿Quién sabe? Quizás la llegada de un pilluelo deshollinador a su hogar, pueda arreglar lo que Allan y Estelle no han sido capaces de hacer, si es que pueden fiarse de él.
Playing House:
“Playing House” es otro relato corto navideño, publicado originalmente en la antología “Regency Christmas II”. Esta historia corta nos presenta un romance muy típico de Mary Balogh en éstas fechas tan señaladas. En él tenemos la historia de Lilias y Stephen, Marqués de Bedford.
Ambos protagonistas tuvieron un amor de juventud cuando ella era simplemente la hija mayor del párroco de la localidad, y él el hijo segundón del marqués. Pero el precipitado fallecimiento de su hermano durante las guerras napoleónicas, y posteriormente el de su padre, propició que Stephen desapareciera de la vida de Lilias.
Han pasado más de seis años, y Lilias acude a Stephen recordándole una deuda que éste contrajo con su padre. Lilias se ha quedado huérfana y sin dinero, y con dos hermanos pequeños que mantener. Ésta es su última Navidad juntos, pues ella ha aceptado un puesto como institutriz, y sus hermanos van a ir a vivir con unos parientes. Sólo tiene una petición para Stephen, que éste pueda darles su última Navidad; un ganso para cenar y unos regalos para sus hermanos.
Stephen acepta la petición de Lilias, y mucho más que eso. Tras desaparecer de su vida, Stephen se casó tal y como debía hacerlo un hombre de su posición, pero fue un matrimonio desgraciado, que solo dejó un motivo de alegría para Stephen, su pequeña hija Dora. Stephen sabe que debería volver a casarse, pero huye de las madres casamenteras, y aunque acepta la petición de Lilias, tiene el resquemor de que ésta querría atraparlo en sus garras para mejorar su vida y la de sus hermanos.
¿Realmente es esto cierto? Poco a poco lo irá averiguando el lector, cuando Stephen y Dora aparezcan a las puertas de la casa de Lilias, y pasen unos maravillosos días de Navidad junto a Megan y Andrew, los hermanos pequeños de Lilias.
Básicamente esto ha sido todo. Dos historias cortas, que me han parecido muy bien narradas, pese a haberlas leído en inglés, porque ya sabemos que normalmente este tipo de historia no suelen publicarse en castellano; y que me han parecido una delicia sin ser lo mejor de Mary Balogh, y sin tener la profundidad que pueden tener unas novelas más largas, pero simplemente son historias para entretener y pasar el rato, y bien ambientadas en estas fechas para leerlas en Navidad.
The Star of Bethlehem:
El primer relato que he leído, “The Star of Bethlehem”, se publicó originalmente en la antología “Regency Christmas I”. En él, Mary Balogh nos presenta a su pareja protagonista, los condes de Lisle. A ojos de todos son el matrimonio perfecto, joven, bien avenido y afectuoso. Pero tras dos años de matrimonio, no son tan cercanos como todos creen; a ojos de Allan, Estelle es demasiado voluble y afectuosa con otros caballeros, y para Estelle, Allan es demasiado frío y distante. Pronto el lector se dará cuenta de que el problema de éste matrimonio es la falta de comunicación.
Allan y Estelle llevan dos años casados, en su compromiso, Allan le regaló un anillo con un diamante y zafiros que Estelle llamó “La Estrella de Belén”, ahora, a pocas semanas de Navidad, Estelle ha perdido el anillo, y con él, todas sus esperanzas de recuperar su matrimonio. ¿Quién sabe? Quizás la llegada de un pilluelo deshollinador a su hogar, pueda arreglar lo que Allan y Estelle no han sido capaces de hacer, si es que pueden fiarse de él.
Playing House:
“Playing House” es otro relato corto navideño, publicado originalmente en la antología “Regency Christmas II”. Esta historia corta nos presenta un romance muy típico de Mary Balogh en éstas fechas tan señaladas. En él tenemos la historia de Lilias y Stephen, Marqués de Bedford.
Ambos protagonistas tuvieron un amor de juventud cuando ella era simplemente la hija mayor del párroco de la localidad, y él el hijo segundón del marqués. Pero el precipitado fallecimiento de su hermano durante las guerras napoleónicas, y posteriormente el de su padre, propició que Stephen desapareciera de la vida de Lilias.
Han pasado más de seis años, y Lilias acude a Stephen recordándole una deuda que éste contrajo con su padre. Lilias se ha quedado huérfana y sin dinero, y con dos hermanos pequeños que mantener. Ésta es su última Navidad juntos, pues ella ha aceptado un puesto como institutriz, y sus hermanos van a ir a vivir con unos parientes. Sólo tiene una petición para Stephen, que éste pueda darles su última Navidad; un ganso para cenar y unos regalos para sus hermanos.
Stephen acepta la petición de Lilias, y mucho más que eso. Tras desaparecer de su vida, Stephen se casó tal y como debía hacerlo un hombre de su posición, pero fue un matrimonio desgraciado, que solo dejó un motivo de alegría para Stephen, su pequeña hija Dora. Stephen sabe que debería volver a casarse, pero huye de las madres casamenteras, y aunque acepta la petición de Lilias, tiene el resquemor de que ésta querría atraparlo en sus garras para mejorar su vida y la de sus hermanos.
¿Realmente es esto cierto? Poco a poco lo irá averiguando el lector, cuando Stephen y Dora aparezcan a las puertas de la casa de Lilias, y pasen unos maravillosos días de Navidad junto a Megan y Andrew, los hermanos pequeños de Lilias.
Básicamente esto ha sido todo. Dos historias cortas, que me han parecido muy bien narradas, pese a haberlas leído en inglés, porque ya sabemos que normalmente este tipo de historia no suelen publicarse en castellano; y que me han parecido una delicia sin ser lo mejor de Mary Balogh, y sin tener la profundidad que pueden tener unas novelas más largas, pero simplemente son historias para entretener y pasar el rato, y bien ambientadas en estas fechas para leerlas en Navidad.
April 1, 2016
The stories really warmed my heart, in spite of the current month, and there is something quite magical about the season of Christmas coming from Balogh.
December 21, 2014
3.5 stars. A bit uneven, but enjoyable.
This is a collection of five short stories/novellas, most of which I believe have been available in other collections except for A Family Christmas which was a new story at time of publication, and is my favourite of the set.
There’s something about the way Mary Balogh writes Christmas-themed stories which puts her in a class of her own. She’s said herself that she always thinks of Christmas itself as the third major character in her festive novels and stories – these aren’t books that could be set at any other time of year as is the case with so many others – and that’s certainly strongly displayed by the messages espoused of love, reconciliation and hope that are woven into them. There are no heavy-handed religious messages in the stories, although given that at the time period in which they are set, the religious aspect of the festival – and people’s lives in general – was much more prominent than perhaps it is today, Ms Balogh quite rightly does make references to the Christian aspects of this particular holiday.
While I enjoyed the collection overall, I have one particular issue with the execution which applies to almost all of these vignettes, which is that the short-story or novella format doesn’t allow for much in the way of character or relationship development. In two or three of them, the principals fall in love at warp speed, which does stretch one’s credulity somewhat. But perhaps I’m more tolerant at this time of year – I was still able to enjoy what I read in spite of the massive contrivances needed to get the principals where they needed to be at the end of each story.
This novella reminded me a bit of the fabulous A Christmas Promise, which I read for the first time last year, and which is now a Christmas staple. A young couple who have been married for less than a year have spent most of that year apart, thanks to the efforts of the wife’s horribly snobbish Mama. She never ceases to remind her daughter of the fact that her new husband, while inordinately wealthy and who has in fact rescued them from the brink of impecuniosity, is a mere cit who will never be worthy of her. She even treats him like dirt on his rare visits home – and he, seeing his wife meekly allowing it, decides he’s better off in London. Returning home for Christmas to the wife he regards as cold and the baby son he has hardly seen, Edwin Chambers wants to see if there is any hope for the marriage, or if his wife is still living in her mother’s pocket. I’m a sucker for an arranged-marriage / poor-aristo-weds-money storyline, so this one pushed all my buttons.
This story sees another unhappily married couple rediscovering their feelings for each other, this time with a little help from a missing ring and a mop-headed chimney sweep called Nicky. (Geddit? A bit on the anvilicious side, that one!) The second-chance romance is another big favourite of mine, so I was disposed to enjoy the story, although I felt the “let’s rescue a poor kid and make the world a better place” side-plot was a little heavy-handed.
This is one of those stories in which the romance didn’t so much develop as leap onto the page fully formed.
Viscount Buckley suddenly finds himself lumbered with his fifteen year-old niece for the festive season, as her parents have buggered off on a trip to Italy. Having no idea what to do with the girl, he impulsively invites her teacher, Jane Craggs to accompany her as her companion and chaperone. Jane was orphaned young and has never had a real Christmas, so she grabs the chance to make merry for the first and possibly only time in her life. Arrived at the viscount’s country seat, he’s further astonished to discover that a “package” has been delivered unexpectedly, in the shape of his four-year-old illegitimate daughter.
The author skilfully draws the parallels between young Veronica and Jane, who believes herself to be the product of a liaison similar to the one which produced Veronica – and evokes sympathy for Jane’s situation as one of those friendless, “grey” young women who hover on the fringes of society caring for its young and never really fitting in anywhere.
Buckley’s interest in and affection for Jane pretty much comes out of nowhere, but then I suppose a romance between the drab governess and handsome nobleman is what one is expecting. I just wish it had been given a little more time to develop.
Playing House sees another nobleman – the Marquess of Bedford - with a young daughter (a legitimate one, this time) finding love at Christmas time, this time with a young woman he’d known many years ago and with whom he had shared a youthful infatuation. Her family on the verge of being split up, Lilias AngRove goes to see him to beg the repayment of a favour once done him by her father. All she wants is to give her brother and sister a Christmas to remember before they are forced to part, and so asks him for a goose and the gifts she wants for her siblings.
She is surprised by his reception of her, which is full of thinly veiled hostility. He immediately jumps to the conclusion that she is spinning him a yarn and setting her cap at him – after all, he’s young and wealthy with a child to raise, and it wouldn’t be the first time a gold-digger has tried to get her claws into him.
His daughter, having no other children of anywhere near her own age to play with, becomes attached to Lilias’ younger siblings, which, naturally, brings the grumpy viscount and his former love back together. It’s a sweet story, although I did think the hero came across as a bit vicious to start with, his assumptions about Lilias are completely unfounded, and he holds onto those assumptions for rather too long.
A group of travellers are unfortunately stranded at a nondescript inn in Wiltshire on Christmas Eve. There’s a rakish Marquess with his roving eye on a young governess, an unhappily married couple, a gruff soldier and his wife, a pair of maiden aunts, and a quiet, mysterious stranger who seems content just to observe.
The arrival of a young couple – unmarried but with parenthood imminent nonetheless – sees this group of strangers banding together to help the young woman deliver her baby… and it’s not until afterwards that anyone mentions the obvious parallels.
I rather like stories that begin like this – a group of people who may never have given each other the time of day under other circumstances who are forced into company and then to re-evaluate their thoughts about each other, but the problem with doing that in the novella format is that it doesn’t allow enough time for character development. I could just about buy the unhappy couple making a fresh start, but the rakish marquess does a volte face of such astonishing speed that it’s not at all believable. But the story itself is sweet and I enjoyed the idea of friendship formed under the unlikeliest of circumstances, and people united by the birth of a child at Christmas.
Overall, Under the Mistletoe is an enjoyable seasonal collection, if you’re prepared to overlook the deficiencies occasioned by the shorter format applied to each of the tales in the set.
This is a collection of five short stories/novellas, most of which I believe have been available in other collections except for A Family Christmas which was a new story at time of publication, and is my favourite of the set.
There’s something about the way Mary Balogh writes Christmas-themed stories which puts her in a class of her own. She’s said herself that she always thinks of Christmas itself as the third major character in her festive novels and stories – these aren’t books that could be set at any other time of year as is the case with so many others – and that’s certainly strongly displayed by the messages espoused of love, reconciliation and hope that are woven into them. There are no heavy-handed religious messages in the stories, although given that at the time period in which they are set, the religious aspect of the festival – and people’s lives in general – was much more prominent than perhaps it is today, Ms Balogh quite rightly does make references to the Christian aspects of this particular holiday.
While I enjoyed the collection overall, I have one particular issue with the execution which applies to almost all of these vignettes, which is that the short-story or novella format doesn’t allow for much in the way of character or relationship development. In two or three of them, the principals fall in love at warp speed, which does stretch one’s credulity somewhat. But perhaps I’m more tolerant at this time of year – I was still able to enjoy what I read in spite of the massive contrivances needed to get the principals where they needed to be at the end of each story.
In A Family Christmas an estranged husband and wife make an unexpected connection—and an illuminating discovery—during the holiday season.
This novella reminded me a bit of the fabulous A Christmas Promise, which I read for the first time last year, and which is now a Christmas staple. A young couple who have been married for less than a year have spent most of that year apart, thanks to the efforts of the wife’s horribly snobbish Mama. She never ceases to remind her daughter of the fact that her new husband, while inordinately wealthy and who has in fact rescued them from the brink of impecuniosity, is a mere cit who will never be worthy of her. She even treats him like dirt on his rare visits home – and he, seeing his wife meekly allowing it, decides he’s better off in London. Returning home for Christmas to the wife he regards as cold and the baby son he has hardly seen, Edwin Chambers wants to see if there is any hope for the marriage, or if his wife is still living in her mother’s pocket. I’m a sucker for an arranged-marriage / poor-aristo-weds-money storyline, so this one pushed all my buttons.
The Star of Bethlehem is a lost diamond ring causing a riff in an already troubled marriage until a servant solves not one mystery but three surrounding its disappearance.
This story sees another unhappily married couple rediscovering their feelings for each other, this time with a little help from a missing ring and a mop-headed chimney sweep called Nicky. (Geddit? A bit on the anvilicious side, that one!) The second-chance romance is another big favourite of mine, so I was disposed to enjoy the story, although I felt the “let’s rescue a poor kid and make the world a better place” side-plot was a little heavy-handed.
The Best Gift can come at the most unexpected moments, especially for a lonesome teacher enlisted over the holidays to chaperone the niece of a notorious rake.
This is one of those stories in which the romance didn’t so much develop as leap onto the page fully formed.
Viscount Buckley suddenly finds himself lumbered with his fifteen year-old niece for the festive season, as her parents have buggered off on a trip to Italy. Having no idea what to do with the girl, he impulsively invites her teacher, Jane Craggs to accompany her as her companion and chaperone. Jane was orphaned young and has never had a real Christmas, so she grabs the chance to make merry for the first and possibly only time in her life. Arrived at the viscount’s country seat, he’s further astonished to discover that a “package” has been delivered unexpectedly, in the shape of his four-year-old illegitimate daughter.
The author skilfully draws the parallels between young Veronica and Jane, who believes herself to be the product of a liaison similar to the one which produced Veronica – and evokes sympathy for Jane’s situation as one of those friendless, “grey” young women who hover on the fringes of society caring for its young and never really fitting in anywhere.
Buckley’s interest in and affection for Jane pretty much comes out of nowhere, but then I suppose a romance between the drab governess and handsome nobleman is what one is expecting. I just wish it had been given a little more time to develop.
Playing House finds an impoverished young woman longing to celebrate just one last, joyous Christmas before she and her orphaned siblings are separated forever.
Playing House sees another nobleman – the Marquess of Bedford - with a young daughter (a legitimate one, this time) finding love at Christmas time, this time with a young woman he’d known many years ago and with whom he had shared a youthful infatuation. Her family on the verge of being split up, Lilias AngRove goes to see him to beg the repayment of a favour once done him by her father. All she wants is to give her brother and sister a Christmas to remember before they are forced to part, and so asks him for a goose and the gifts she wants for her siblings.
She is surprised by his reception of her, which is full of thinly veiled hostility. He immediately jumps to the conclusion that she is spinning him a yarn and setting her cap at him – after all, he’s young and wealthy with a child to raise, and it wouldn’t be the first time a gold-digger has tried to get her claws into him.
His daughter, having no other children of anywhere near her own age to play with, becomes attached to Lilias’ younger siblings, which, naturally, brings the grumpy viscount and his former love back together. It’s a sweet story, although I did think the hero came across as a bit vicious to start with, his assumptions about Lilias are completely unfounded, and he holds onto those assumptions for rather too long.
And in No Room at the Inn, a winter storm on Christmas Eve brings a young couple in from the cold, desperately in need of warmth and shelter for their unborn child.
A group of travellers are unfortunately stranded at a nondescript inn in Wiltshire on Christmas Eve. There’s a rakish Marquess with his roving eye on a young governess, an unhappily married couple, a gruff soldier and his wife, a pair of maiden aunts, and a quiet, mysterious stranger who seems content just to observe.
The arrival of a young couple – unmarried but with parenthood imminent nonetheless – sees this group of strangers banding together to help the young woman deliver her baby… and it’s not until afterwards that anyone mentions the obvious parallels.
I rather like stories that begin like this – a group of people who may never have given each other the time of day under other circumstances who are forced into company and then to re-evaluate their thoughts about each other, but the problem with doing that in the novella format is that it doesn’t allow enough time for character development. I could just about buy the unhappy couple making a fresh start, but the rakish marquess does a volte face of such astonishing speed that it’s not at all believable. But the story itself is sweet and I enjoyed the idea of friendship formed under the unlikeliest of circumstances, and people united by the birth of a child at Christmas.
Overall, Under the Mistletoe is an enjoyable seasonal collection, if you’re prepared to overlook the deficiencies occasioned by the shorter format applied to each of the tales in the set.
October 8, 2014
I am apparently reading all of Balogh's Christmas novels. It's not because I'm looking forward to the season necessarily, but it's it's just ... happening. And I can't seem to stop it.
A Family Christmas
An aristocratic daughter marries a cit. She thinks he's a haughty bore; he thinks she's a frigid icicle. Yet somehow they believe that they fell in love at first sight over 13 months ago? And they have a baby, too! Can Christmas give them feelings again?
If I hadn't just read A Christmas Promise a few days ago (pretty much the same premise only in a shorter time span, minus the baby), I would have probably liked this more. Balogh seems to enjoy the cit/gentry arranged marriage trope and I can't say I don't too. 3 stars
The Star of Bethlehem
A couple, married for 2 years on Christmas, is estranged! And they fight a lot! And an important ring goes missing! And there's a semi-adopted chimney sweep! And stuff?
Whiny heroes, expensive jewelry, and a bad taste from the save-the-poor campaign. 1.5 stars
The Best Gift
A Marquess is saddled with his 15-year-old niece for Christmas, so he invites one of her teachers to come along to chaperone her. And also he gets a special delivery: his illegitimate daughter on his doorstep! BUT OH WAIT FEELINGS.
Not bad, just abrupt. There's so little room for the hero to truly fall for the heroine that it ends up feeling too trite, too treacly. There's no foundation for a HEA. 3 stars.
Playing House
Nobleman returns to his childhood home with his daughter. His childhood sweetheart shows up to beg a goose and gifts for her younger siblings. But cliches abound! Just who is truly rich between these very different families??? TUNE IN TO FIND OUT.
The hero's certainty that the heroine was out to entrap him went on WAY TOO LONG, and that's saying something for a SHORT STORY. 3 stars.
No Room at the Inn
A full inn + pregnant couple = NO ONE SEES THE CHRISTMAS PARALLELS UNTIL WAY LATE.
A jaded rake meets a shy governess and has lusty feelings. Estranged couple convinced their spouse hates them. A few comic relief couples to boot.
Here's the thing: 1. The moment it was mentioned that the married dude had a mistress to ~protect his wife from his animal passions, I was out. 2. The moment I realized the rake was going to be reformed in just over 12 hours, I was out. 3. The moment the mysterious middle-aged man (who was more interesting than any of the others) revealed he was both a physician AND a cleric? I WAS OUT. 2 stars.
As entertaining as the stories were individually, I think this serves as a poor showing for a collection and here's why: it shows Balogh's stock characters too strongly. Similar to Heyer's Pistols for Two, it soon becomes apparent that Balogh likes to utilize certain archetypes that, within the context of a short story, do not have the chance to become anything more than those archetypes. While I notice these types in her other novels, they are usually fleshed out and stand alone.
A Family Christmas
An aristocratic daughter marries a cit. She thinks he's a haughty bore; he thinks she's a frigid icicle. Yet somehow they believe that they fell in love at first sight over 13 months ago? And they have a baby, too! Can Christmas give them feelings again?
If I hadn't just read A Christmas Promise a few days ago (pretty much the same premise only in a shorter time span, minus the baby), I would have probably liked this more. Balogh seems to enjoy the cit/gentry arranged marriage trope and I can't say I don't too. 3 stars
The Star of Bethlehem
A couple, married for 2 years on Christmas, is estranged! And they fight a lot! And an important ring goes missing! And there's a semi-adopted chimney sweep! And stuff?
Whiny heroes, expensive jewelry, and a bad taste from the save-the-poor campaign. 1.5 stars
The Best Gift
A Marquess is saddled with his 15-year-old niece for Christmas, so he invites one of her teachers to come along to chaperone her. And also he gets a special delivery: his illegitimate daughter on his doorstep! BUT OH WAIT FEELINGS.
Not bad, just abrupt. There's so little room for the hero to truly fall for the heroine that it ends up feeling too trite, too treacly. There's no foundation for a HEA. 3 stars.
Playing House
Nobleman returns to his childhood home with his daughter. His childhood sweetheart shows up to beg a goose and gifts for her younger siblings. But cliches abound! Just who is truly rich between these very different families??? TUNE IN TO FIND OUT.
The hero's certainty that the heroine was out to entrap him went on WAY TOO LONG, and that's saying something for a SHORT STORY. 3 stars.
No Room at the Inn
A full inn + pregnant couple = NO ONE SEES THE CHRISTMAS PARALLELS UNTIL WAY LATE.
A jaded rake meets a shy governess and has lusty feelings. Estranged couple convinced their spouse hates them. A few comic relief couples to boot.
Here's the thing: 1. The moment it was mentioned that the married dude had a mistress to ~protect his wife from his animal passions, I was out. 2. The moment I realized the rake was going to be reformed in just over 12 hours, I was out. 3. The moment the mysterious middle-aged man (who was more interesting than any of the others) revealed he was both a physician AND a cleric? I WAS OUT. 2 stars.
As entertaining as the stories were individually, I think this serves as a poor showing for a collection and here's why: it shows Balogh's stock characters too strongly. Similar to Heyer's Pistols for Two, it soon becomes apparent that Balogh likes to utilize certain archetypes that, within the context of a short story, do not have the chance to become anything more than those archetypes. While I notice these types in her other novels, they are usually fleshed out and stand alone.
November 7, 2016
This collection is comprised of 5 Christmas novellas. Like everything by this author, each novella is a historical romance, set in England in the 19th century.
A Family Christmas , 2003
Elizabeth, a young aristocratic woman, is painfully shy. She had grown up under the influence of her arrogant, domineering mother. When her family fell on hard times, they married her off to a rich merchant to recoup their finances. It happened a year ago, and she welcomed the marriage as a way out of her joyless home, even though her parents despised her husband.
Sadly, things didn’t work out the way she imagined. As soon as she got pregnant, her husband left her with her mother and returned to London to take care of his business. Now, a year later, he came back for Christmas. Hopefully, things will change between them. Hopefully, their marriage could still work.
The story is charming but a little didactic, with a vaguely religious slant. With such a low page count, the author can’t develop her characters fully, but the sketches of the protagonists are there, although they strike me as possibilities rather than living people. The resolution of their conflict was a tad idealistic too, but despite those problems, I enjoyed reading this story. Some moments of it were truly inspiring.
The Star of Bethlehem , 1989
I didn’t like this story. It’s old, the oldest in the collection. A married couple love each other but are afraid to tell each other about their love because neither wishes to become vulnerable. Instead, they quarrel all the time. She is vivacious and flirty. He is taciturn and jealous. They drive each other crazy, until one Christmas, they finally talk and confess their love. And lived happily ever after.
I didn’t believe it. Although the conflict seemed plausible, the resolution was not.
The Best Gift , 1994
I adored this touching story a lot. An orphan child, a young woman, and a man – all alone in the world for various reasons – find themselves together one Christmas. Love triumphs, as it always does in this author’s stories. Of course, it would be all highly improbable in real life, but in a fairy tale set during Christmas times, miracles should be expected.
Playing House , 1990
This novella has an interesting collection of characters, unusual for a romance. There are our requisite pair of lovers – a cynical, disillusioned aristocrat and an impoverished but proud young woman – and three young children. Lots of snow play too. I liked it.
No Room at the Inn , 1993
No, not for me. Too pushy a message of Christmas, almost a sermon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In several stories of this collection, the conflict and the misunderstandings come from people not talking to each other, not expressing their feelings. It’s almost a theme of this anthology, and I wanted to scream at the characters: Talk, people! Tell each other what you feel and what you think. Don’t be afraid to open up. On the other hand, if they did talk, their stories wouldn’t have been written, because there would be no conflict and no need for a resolution. But there would be many more happy families.
Christmas is another common thread for all the stories in this book, and that includes too much Jesus for my taste. Of course, I’m an atheist, and this book is about Christmas, but I could’ve done with a less blatant message of Christianity. Subtlety would’ve worked better in this case.
A Family Christmas , 2003
Elizabeth, a young aristocratic woman, is painfully shy. She had grown up under the influence of her arrogant, domineering mother. When her family fell on hard times, they married her off to a rich merchant to recoup their finances. It happened a year ago, and she welcomed the marriage as a way out of her joyless home, even though her parents despised her husband.
Sadly, things didn’t work out the way she imagined. As soon as she got pregnant, her husband left her with her mother and returned to London to take care of his business. Now, a year later, he came back for Christmas. Hopefully, things will change between them. Hopefully, their marriage could still work.
The story is charming but a little didactic, with a vaguely religious slant. With such a low page count, the author can’t develop her characters fully, but the sketches of the protagonists are there, although they strike me as possibilities rather than living people. The resolution of their conflict was a tad idealistic too, but despite those problems, I enjoyed reading this story. Some moments of it were truly inspiring.
The Star of Bethlehem , 1989
I didn’t like this story. It’s old, the oldest in the collection. A married couple love each other but are afraid to tell each other about their love because neither wishes to become vulnerable. Instead, they quarrel all the time. She is vivacious and flirty. He is taciturn and jealous. They drive each other crazy, until one Christmas, they finally talk and confess their love. And lived happily ever after.
I didn’t believe it. Although the conflict seemed plausible, the resolution was not.
The Best Gift , 1994
I adored this touching story a lot. An orphan child, a young woman, and a man – all alone in the world for various reasons – find themselves together one Christmas. Love triumphs, as it always does in this author’s stories. Of course, it would be all highly improbable in real life, but in a fairy tale set during Christmas times, miracles should be expected.
Playing House , 1990
This novella has an interesting collection of characters, unusual for a romance. There are our requisite pair of lovers – a cynical, disillusioned aristocrat and an impoverished but proud young woman – and three young children. Lots of snow play too. I liked it.
No Room at the Inn , 1993
No, not for me. Too pushy a message of Christmas, almost a sermon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In several stories of this collection, the conflict and the misunderstandings come from people not talking to each other, not expressing their feelings. It’s almost a theme of this anthology, and I wanted to scream at the characters: Talk, people! Tell each other what you feel and what you think. Don’t be afraid to open up. On the other hand, if they did talk, their stories wouldn’t have been written, because there would be no conflict and no need for a resolution. But there would be many more happy families.
Christmas is another common thread for all the stories in this book, and that includes too much Jesus for my taste. Of course, I’m an atheist, and this book is about Christmas, but I could’ve done with a less blatant message of Christianity. Subtlety would’ve worked better in this case.
December 30, 2016
This book is 5 Regency novellas, each about 70 pages long and about as predictable, formulistic, and clichéd as it gets. It is really a 3 star book, but it gets the extra star just because it’s Christmas and it was EXACTLY what I wanted to be reading at this time of year! (Dec 21, 2013)
Read Dec 21, 2013
Re-read Dec 5, 2015
Re-read Dec 29, 2016
January 24, 2019
I KNOW CHRISTMAS IS STILL 4 MONTHS AWAY, BUT I CAN’T HELP IT!!!! I CANNOT SAY NO TO MARY BALOGH AND HER BOOKS!!!! :))) UPON KNOWING THIS COLLECTION OF ROMANTIC CHRISTMAS SHORT STORIES AND THE PLACE TO READ IT FREE ONLINE, I IMMEDIATELY RUSHED TO DEVOUR IT. MAYBE BECAUSE I WAS MADLY CRAVING FOR MARY BALOGH’S BOOKS IN PARTICULAR AND HISTORICAL ROMANCE STORIES IN GENERAL HA HA HA :D
OK, enough with all the words in caps, I’m gonna be a little bit more serious now with this review :))) I love everything about Mary Balogh’s writing in this collection of short stories. I love how she built the characters’ past, present and personalities just with some short sentences. I always admire people who can write amazing short stories, because of the limit of words in comparison to writing novels. With novels, we can use as many words as we want to craft the story and express how we want the story to flow. But with short stories, not so much. And with , Mary Balogh has proven to me that she can not only write delicious, heartbreaking and beautiful historical romance novels, but also historical romance short stories ^^
Oh, and those five stories presented in this collection, each touched me in a different way that I can’t explain in just simple words. Whether it was a married couple trying to work things out and save their marriage with the magic of love, selflessness and understanding, or a blossoming romance between two strangers bound to each other during Christmas, or even two people who were each other’s first love returning to where it all started and the true meaning of the holiday season, Mary Balogh always finds a way to make me cry with her stories. They were all so beautiful, so moving, so magically magnificent that they tugged at my heartstring at every sentence, every paragraph I devoured.
And Christmas, oh yes Christmas, the most wonderful time of the year, the amazing setting for these five stories! I was lost in the winter wonderlands created by Mary Balogh through her exceptional and captivating descriptions of Christmas in English countryside during the 19th century. Christmas tree, holly, Yule log, snow, mistletoe, kissing bough, sledge, apple cider, the warmth from the fireplace or from the hands of loved ones, shared kisses, loving embraces, the night sky with the Bethlehem Star… All of those combined to help make unforgettable romantic Christmas stories that a hopeless romantic/Christmas maniac like me can never get enough of. And I want to experience Christmas in English countryside during that time so very bad!!! I want to slide down the snowy hill on a sledge, make snowmen and snow angels, sing Christmas carols, drink hot apple cider beside the fireplace, decorate the house with greenery and holly, have a kiss with a viscount, an earl or even a marquess under the mistletoe :D AHHHH!!!!!
I must admit that in 2 stories, the man and the woman fell in love kinda quickly (you know, just after a few days celebrating Christmas together, and then they realized they’d found the love of their lives, the man proposed, and the woman said yes), almost too quickly to be realistic. But after all, this is Christmas, the most magical, wonderful time, and surely the magic of Christmas must have worked for those people, so that the realization of love dawned on them that fast :)))
P.S.: While reading this book, I had to pause for some time to listen to some Christmas music. Not because I was bored, far from that, but because I was so INSPIRED by the book that I needed to have a little piece of Christmas right at that moment. And since it was still August, the best way to enjoy Christmas was to listen to Christmas songs and sing along (of course in my head :D), waiting for December to come so I can properly bring out my little Christmas tree and decorate it. And I did dream of decorating my Christmas tree last night ^^ This is how amazing and wonderful and enticing this book is :D It made me dream about the thing that’s still far away but has always been in my heart - Christmas Christmas Christmas, my most favorite Western celebration :))
Here is the list of Christmas songs that I listened to while reading this book (in no particular order ^^):
1. I’ll Be Home For Christmas
2. White Christmas
3. Winter Wonderland
4. White Winter Hymnal
5. It’s The Most Wonderful Time of The Year
6. Santa Baby - performed by Eartha Kitt
7. Santa Tell Me - performed by Ariana Grande
8. Let It Snow - performed by Lady Antebellum
9. Baby It’s Cold Outside - performed by Michael Bublé and Idina Menzel
I listened to the a cappella group Pentatonix’s versions of the songs from 1 to 5 ^^ This list has the potential to become a badass Christmas playlist, don’t you think? :D
OK, enough with all the words in caps, I’m gonna be a little bit more serious now with this review :))) I love everything about Mary Balogh’s writing in this collection of short stories. I love how she built the characters’ past, present and personalities just with some short sentences. I always admire people who can write amazing short stories, because of the limit of words in comparison to writing novels. With novels, we can use as many words as we want to craft the story and express how we want the story to flow. But with short stories, not so much. And with , Mary Balogh has proven to me that she can not only write delicious, heartbreaking and beautiful historical romance novels, but also historical romance short stories ^^
Oh, and those five stories presented in this collection, each touched me in a different way that I can’t explain in just simple words. Whether it was a married couple trying to work things out and save their marriage with the magic of love, selflessness and understanding, or a blossoming romance between two strangers bound to each other during Christmas, or even two people who were each other’s first love returning to where it all started and the true meaning of the holiday season, Mary Balogh always finds a way to make me cry with her stories. They were all so beautiful, so moving, so magically magnificent that they tugged at my heartstring at every sentence, every paragraph I devoured.
And Christmas, oh yes Christmas, the most wonderful time of the year, the amazing setting for these five stories! I was lost in the winter wonderlands created by Mary Balogh through her exceptional and captivating descriptions of Christmas in English countryside during the 19th century. Christmas tree, holly, Yule log, snow, mistletoe, kissing bough, sledge, apple cider, the warmth from the fireplace or from the hands of loved ones, shared kisses, loving embraces, the night sky with the Bethlehem Star… All of those combined to help make unforgettable romantic Christmas stories that a hopeless romantic/Christmas maniac like me can never get enough of. And I want to experience Christmas in English countryside during that time so very bad!!! I want to slide down the snowy hill on a sledge, make snowmen and snow angels, sing Christmas carols, drink hot apple cider beside the fireplace, decorate the house with greenery and holly, have a kiss with a viscount, an earl or even a marquess under the mistletoe :D AHHHH!!!!!
I must admit that in 2 stories, the man and the woman fell in love kinda quickly (you know, just after a few days celebrating Christmas together, and then they realized they’d found the love of their lives, the man proposed, and the woman said yes), almost too quickly to be realistic. But after all, this is Christmas, the most magical, wonderful time, and surely the magic of Christmas must have worked for those people, so that the realization of love dawned on them that fast :)))
P.S.: While reading this book, I had to pause for some time to listen to some Christmas music. Not because I was bored, far from that, but because I was so INSPIRED by the book that I needed to have a little piece of Christmas right at that moment. And since it was still August, the best way to enjoy Christmas was to listen to Christmas songs and sing along (of course in my head :D), waiting for December to come so I can properly bring out my little Christmas tree and decorate it. And I did dream of decorating my Christmas tree last night ^^ This is how amazing and wonderful and enticing this book is :D It made me dream about the thing that’s still far away but has always been in my heart - Christmas Christmas Christmas, my most favorite Western celebration :))
Here is the list of Christmas songs that I listened to while reading this book (in no particular order ^^):
1. I’ll Be Home For Christmas
2. White Christmas
3. Winter Wonderland
4. White Winter Hymnal
5. It’s The Most Wonderful Time of The Year
6. Santa Baby - performed by Eartha Kitt
7. Santa Tell Me - performed by Ariana Grande
8. Let It Snow - performed by Lady Antebellum
9. Baby It’s Cold Outside - performed by Michael Bublé and Idina Menzel
I listened to the a cappella group Pentatonix’s versions of the songs from 1 to 5 ^^ This list has the potential to become a badass Christmas playlist, don’t you think? :D
June 2, 2014
I am on a Balogh bender, spree, binge; call it what you will. I think every reader will find their own favorite winter romance.
UNDER THE MISTLETOE contains 4 reprints and one new short romance. Her heroes and heroines are imperfect. Hence, the various ratings. Each of the plots will remind you of a thick soup with settings that are more realistic than you normally find in Regency romances. The tugging and push/pulls will have you rooting for the hero one minute and the heroine in the next. But in the end you will always find an HEA.
'A Family Christmas'. **** 4 stars. The only new romance. It is about a newly married couple that bungles their marriage from the get-go. A little over a year later they are given a second chance at making things right; if they can get past wrong first impressions, some anguishing hurt and a mother-in-law from hell.
'The Star Of Bethlehem' Nov. 1989: A Regency Christmas 1989
**Two Stars. A tie for my least favorite. A ring, a ten-year-old chimney sweep and an unhappily married couple on the brink of separation.
'The Best Gift' Nov. 1994: A Regency Christmas VI. ****4 Stars
A young woman whom has never had a family or spent Christmas anywhere is hired by a lonely young nobleman to chaperone his fifteen-year-old niece over the holidays. Her parents decided to spend the season in Italy at the last minute....without her. Then, upon their arrival at his estate, he finds the illegitimate daughter he had financially supported for four years but had never met dropped off at his home. His former mistress, the little girl's mother, has died. This is a heartwarming story of what it means to help others spread joy. At the same time, two lonely people find out they have more in common then they originally thought.
'Playing House' Nov. 1990: A Regency Christmas II ***Three Stars
The Marquess of Bedford is given a second chance when he revisits someone special from his youth. The 30-ish gentleman first judged a loving old acquaintance, whom he hadn't seen in years, on the same level as his philandering deceased wife.
'No Room At The Inn' Nov. 1993: A Regency Christmas V. **Two Stars. A tie for my least favorite. There are just too many characters to build any feeling towards the individual(s). Also, one of the heroes is married and has had mistresses while married...a deception I usually try to steer clear of.
UNDER THE MISTLETOE contains 4 reprints and one new short romance. Her heroes and heroines are imperfect. Hence, the various ratings. Each of the plots will remind you of a thick soup with settings that are more realistic than you normally find in Regency romances. The tugging and push/pulls will have you rooting for the hero one minute and the heroine in the next. But in the end you will always find an HEA.
'A Family Christmas'. **** 4 stars. The only new romance. It is about a newly married couple that bungles their marriage from the get-go. A little over a year later they are given a second chance at making things right; if they can get past wrong first impressions, some anguishing hurt and a mother-in-law from hell.
'The Star Of Bethlehem' Nov. 1989: A Regency Christmas 1989
**Two Stars. A tie for my least favorite. A ring, a ten-year-old chimney sweep and an unhappily married couple on the brink of separation.
'The Best Gift' Nov. 1994: A Regency Christmas VI. ****4 Stars
A young woman whom has never had a family or spent Christmas anywhere is hired by a lonely young nobleman to chaperone his fifteen-year-old niece over the holidays. Her parents decided to spend the season in Italy at the last minute....without her. Then, upon their arrival at his estate, he finds the illegitimate daughter he had financially supported for four years but had never met dropped off at his home. His former mistress, the little girl's mother, has died. This is a heartwarming story of what it means to help others spread joy. At the same time, two lonely people find out they have more in common then they originally thought.
'Playing House' Nov. 1990: A Regency Christmas II ***Three Stars
The Marquess of Bedford is given a second chance when he revisits someone special from his youth. The 30-ish gentleman first judged a loving old acquaintance, whom he hadn't seen in years, on the same level as his philandering deceased wife.
'No Room At The Inn' Nov. 1993: A Regency Christmas V. **Two Stars. A tie for my least favorite. There are just too many characters to build any feeling towards the individual(s). Also, one of the heroes is married and has had mistresses while married...a deception I usually try to steer clear of.
November 26, 2025
This books contains short stories set at Christmas. I found the ones with children (The Best Gift, Playing House) to be very sweet. The others a little less exciting, but this was a fun read overall.
November 21, 2019
I believe I have all of these stories in other anthologies but it was nice to have them all together. Great set of regency Christmas stories.
November 29, 2008
This book is a collection of sweet romances, with, of course, a Christmas theme, all written by Balogh. I've only read one other book by this author, but after reading these stories, I believe I grasp her "formula" pretty well. The rakish hero initially talks himself out of a relationship with the plain heroine for various reasons, while the heroine acknowledges to herself that she is in love with the hero. Eventually the hero comes to realize that the heroine really is as sweet, unassuming, guileless, kind, innocent, and (insert your favorite adjective) as she seems, and is actually beautiful as well! I was in just the mood to usher in the holiday season with these love stories, and each one had its "awwww" moments that I love.
December 31, 2011
This was a great Christmas book that I will be reading again. I recommend it to anyone who reads historical romance and is looking for a great Christmas story collection.
December 31, 2015
Collection of shorts - the first one, "A Family Christmas" was my favorite.
December 27, 2025
I am marking this as 'read' for now. I finished the first two novellas and rated each of them 3 stars. I thought they were sweet and perfect for the holiday season. But I didn't want to binge them because I was starting to get a bit bored. I will finish the other ones next Christmas.
December 30, 2024
Are you searching for romantic and feel-good Christmas love-stories? Look no further!
January 29, 2008
This book has 4 of Mary Balogh's old novellas and a new one.
In the new story, A Family Christmas, a young couple who have been married for a year and estranged for more than eleven months meet again at a family Christmas and are given the chance to start over.
The new one is A Family Christmas. This is a story about a couple already married and I usually like those. And I liked this story, it had all the good ingredients of a christmas story - a family house party, greenery gathering, snow ball fights, caroling - but the main characters were a bit cold. They do resolve their differences in the end but I wished they would have done it sooner. They were being kept apart but the heroine's mother who believes the hero, a cit, is beneath her. A B-.
In The Star of Bethlehem a betrothal ring is first broken and then lost. It symbolizes a broken marriage, about to be ended. But along comes a child in the form of a little chimney sweep, and along comes Christmas, the time for gift-giving, and soon there is hope for both the ring and the marriage.
The Star of Bethlehem is another story about a married couple and I must say this was my least favourite. The heroine was too childish and the hero to stiff and jealous. They seemed to be screaming most of the time. Also the child being a thief didn't help, I know it's probably closer to how things really happened but since the main couple didn't really work for me to have this sad part of reality showing up annoyed me more than moved me. A C+
In The Best Gift, three ill-assorted, lonely adults--an aristocrat, his niece, and a teacher hired as her chaperone--are brought together for a Christmas two of them are determined not to enjoy. But then a child is foisted upon them, and somehow the magic of the Season begins to wrap itself about all of them.
The Best Gift was a story I quite liked. I think that happened because it's mostly about the heroine and what her dreams and desires were. Some people might say that a viscount marrying an illegitimate girld would be very unlikely but for me it worked as the ultimate fairy tale. To bring happiness and love to someone who has none!
The heroine is an orphan who has lived first in an orphanage and then at a ladies school and is now a teacher. She is invited by the hero to spend the holiday season at his house to be his niece's chaperone. A B.
In Playing House an aristocrat and his daughter, who seem to have everything, become unwillingly involved with a young woman and her young siblings, who seem to have nothing. But as Christmas draws near, it becomes less clear which family is rich and which is impoverished.
Playing House disappointed me a bit because I felt the hero was too bitter and desilusioned. It took him a long time to see the heroine in a positive light and by the time he did I just wanted him to get over it. Poor Lilias was actually a really nice person and he just kept seeing her a scheming and mercenary woman. A C+.
In No Room at the Inn an assortment of unhappy travelers are stranded by rain and mud at an inferior inn on Christmas Eve. But love finds them there after a young couple arrives just as their baby is about to be born--and are put in the stable because there are no rooms left.
I quite liked of No Room at The Inn about the miracle that the birth of a child at christmas can do for a group of total strangers who are stuck in a country inn for Christmas. Since there are so many characters in it none of the romantic stories are well developed... so I just took it as a Christmas story, not as a straight romance because then I would have wanted to know more. A B-.
In the new story, A Family Christmas, a young couple who have been married for a year and estranged for more than eleven months meet again at a family Christmas and are given the chance to start over.
The new one is A Family Christmas. This is a story about a couple already married and I usually like those. And I liked this story, it had all the good ingredients of a christmas story - a family house party, greenery gathering, snow ball fights, caroling - but the main characters were a bit cold. They do resolve their differences in the end but I wished they would have done it sooner. They were being kept apart but the heroine's mother who believes the hero, a cit, is beneath her. A B-.
In The Star of Bethlehem a betrothal ring is first broken and then lost. It symbolizes a broken marriage, about to be ended. But along comes a child in the form of a little chimney sweep, and along comes Christmas, the time for gift-giving, and soon there is hope for both the ring and the marriage.
The Star of Bethlehem is another story about a married couple and I must say this was my least favourite. The heroine was too childish and the hero to stiff and jealous. They seemed to be screaming most of the time. Also the child being a thief didn't help, I know it's probably closer to how things really happened but since the main couple didn't really work for me to have this sad part of reality showing up annoyed me more than moved me. A C+
In The Best Gift, three ill-assorted, lonely adults--an aristocrat, his niece, and a teacher hired as her chaperone--are brought together for a Christmas two of them are determined not to enjoy. But then a child is foisted upon them, and somehow the magic of the Season begins to wrap itself about all of them.
The Best Gift was a story I quite liked. I think that happened because it's mostly about the heroine and what her dreams and desires were. Some people might say that a viscount marrying an illegitimate girld would be very unlikely but for me it worked as the ultimate fairy tale. To bring happiness and love to someone who has none!
The heroine is an orphan who has lived first in an orphanage and then at a ladies school and is now a teacher. She is invited by the hero to spend the holiday season at his house to be his niece's chaperone. A B.
In Playing House an aristocrat and his daughter, who seem to have everything, become unwillingly involved with a young woman and her young siblings, who seem to have nothing. But as Christmas draws near, it becomes less clear which family is rich and which is impoverished.
Playing House disappointed me a bit because I felt the hero was too bitter and desilusioned. It took him a long time to see the heroine in a positive light and by the time he did I just wanted him to get over it. Poor Lilias was actually a really nice person and he just kept seeing her a scheming and mercenary woman. A C+.
In No Room at the Inn an assortment of unhappy travelers are stranded by rain and mud at an inferior inn on Christmas Eve. But love finds them there after a young couple arrives just as their baby is about to be born--and are put in the stable because there are no rooms left.
I quite liked of No Room at The Inn about the miracle that the birth of a child at christmas can do for a group of total strangers who are stuck in a country inn for Christmas. Since there are so many characters in it none of the romantic stories are well developed... so I just took it as a Christmas story, not as a straight romance because then I would have wanted to know more. A B-.
February 9, 2014
I loved all the stories, with perhaps one exception getting three stars rather than five. Since these are short stories, it would hardly be fair to complain of lack of character development or sudden shifts in mood, etc. So, if you suspend the typical reliance of realistic time frames and character development that most of us novel readers possess, and just come at these stories with a short-story mindset, I think you will really like them =)
December 23, 2015
This is a collection of five Christmas-themed short stories, and while some of the stories were better than others, I enjoyed reading them all. If you don't like a lot of sentimentality about love, romance, family, and the meaning of Christmas, this might not be the book for you. The holidays make me sappy, though, and Mary Balogh's gentle, warm writing style was just my cup of tea.
January 21, 2020
3.5 to 4 stars on the first 3 stories.
The first two were second chance stories of a married couple who have issues they need to address. In the first one it’s a marriage of convenience that almost falls apart because of a meddling mother in-laws. I’m glad the wife finally asserted herself, but she was only 19 years old.
The second story is also a married couple. The husband has a lot of jealousy issues. The couple in this one had a very passionate relationship, in bed and out of. The wife’s volatile personality unfortunately fanned the flames of the husband’s jealousy. The author implies in the end that the husband gets over his jealousy by admitting his feelings to his wife, and though it’s hopeful, I have my doubts... a jealous spouse does not change overnight.
The third story is about an orphan teacher who chaperones the niece of the hero over the Christmas holiday. This was the sweetest story and I found myself tearing up. The hero’s illegitimate 4yr old daughter is unceremoniously delivered to his residence. The heroine immediately identifies with the sad little girl. Her mother died suddenly, and the woman looking after her doesn’t have enough money to support another child, so she sends her to the father who has been supporting her, but had never even met his child. The relationship between the little girl and the heroine and eventually the hero develops into a lovely happy ever after for all of them.
Haven’t read the last 2 stories yet.
The first two were second chance stories of a married couple who have issues they need to address. In the first one it’s a marriage of convenience that almost falls apart because of a meddling mother in-laws. I’m glad the wife finally asserted herself, but she was only 19 years old.
The second story is also a married couple. The husband has a lot of jealousy issues. The couple in this one had a very passionate relationship, in bed and out of. The wife’s volatile personality unfortunately fanned the flames of the husband’s jealousy. The author implies in the end that the husband gets over his jealousy by admitting his feelings to his wife, and though it’s hopeful, I have my doubts... a jealous spouse does not change overnight.
The third story is about an orphan teacher who chaperones the niece of the hero over the Christmas holiday. This was the sweetest story and I found myself tearing up. The hero’s illegitimate 4yr old daughter is unceremoniously delivered to his residence. The heroine immediately identifies with the sad little girl. Her mother died suddenly, and the woman looking after her doesn’t have enough money to support another child, so she sends her to the father who has been supporting her, but had never even met his child. The relationship between the little girl and the heroine and eventually the hero develops into a lovely happy ever after for all of them.
Haven’t read the last 2 stories yet.
December 22, 2017
A Family Christmas-4.5 stars
The Best Gift- 4 stars
Playing House- 3.5
I think I may have overdid it this year with Mary Balogh Christmas novels and/or novellas. With these three, I am up to nine this season and I'm starting to see a pattern here. I do think I would enjoy spending some time at Christmas with Mary Balogh as I am sure there would be some tromping in the woods searching for yule logs, evergreens and mistletoe. Then we would have to do some sledding on the freshly arrived snow and a few snow ball fights would ensue. Yes, I think a few days in Mary Balogh's Christmas world would be time well spent but I guess I will have to settle for reading her books. Also time well spent....
The Best Gift- 4 stars
Playing House- 3.5
I think I may have overdid it this year with Mary Balogh Christmas novels and/or novellas. With these three, I am up to nine this season and I'm starting to see a pattern here. I do think I would enjoy spending some time at Christmas with Mary Balogh as I am sure there would be some tromping in the woods searching for yule logs, evergreens and mistletoe. Then we would have to do some sledding on the freshly arrived snow and a few snow ball fights would ensue. Yes, I think a few days in Mary Balogh's Christmas world would be time well spent but I guess I will have to settle for reading her books. Also time well spent....
January 22, 2019
A very sweet, endearing collection of short, romantic stories that plucks the heartstrings in just the right way. Balogh's style is particularly well-suited to the short form--any of you who have thrown down her books in frustration because of how long and drawn-out her stories can get (and how much they depend on the main characters not talking to each other) may want to give this one a try. In these stories, it takes the hero and heroine a more reasonable span of time to resolve their problems. I also noticed as I was reading that this tendency of Balogh's to let the central conflict hinge on a lack of communication is exactly what I like best about her writing. It seems to say that all humans are fundamentally good, and all problems are really just misunderstandings. I find this rather... touching.
November 22, 2018
Looooooooved this perfect collection of regency romance Holiday-themed short stories. Just the right amounts of sugar, spice, and everything nice. Balogh is a master of this genre and it shows. Enjoy!
February 20, 2019
A couple of good stories, but too many arsehole heroes for me to finish this collection.
November 18, 2019
Great Christmas read.
December 3, 2024
YESSS CHRISTMAS VIBES
A Family Christmas: 4⭐️
The Star of Bethlehem: 1⭐️
The Best Gift: 5⭐️
Playing House: 4⭐️
No Room At the Inn: 2⭐️
A Family Christmas: 4⭐️
The Star of Bethlehem: 1⭐️
The Best Gift: 5⭐️
Playing House: 4⭐️
No Room At the Inn: 2⭐️
December 28, 2024
Three short Christmas stories by one of my favorite Regency authors. Some were better than others and there were some repetitive elements. I liked the first one the best.
December 18, 2020
This was a great holiday read. There are 5 short historical stories collected in this book. All warming to the heart this holiday season.
December 1, 2021
3 1/2 stars
Great Holiday Read!
Great Holiday Read!
September 12, 2019
Christmas is coming! Or you know, in a few months. But I’m already counting down and waiting for when it’s appropriate to put my Christmas decorations up. Or at least, put the rest of them up and admit to people that I’ve never packed away all of my decorations. Yes, I’m a Christmas freak! So I’ve also started reading Christmas books now. So if you want to be in a Christmas mood, read on!
Mary Balogh has written several Christmas books, but this one is my favourites: Under the Mistletoe. Because it contains five lovely short stories: A Family Christmas, The Star of Bethlehem, The Best Gift, Playing House and No Room at the Inn. All of these are already available in other collections, except for A Family Christmas which was newly released here. Also, she doesn’t just use Christmas as a way to force an ending or as a little side-extra. All her Christmas stories cannot be set at any other time than at Christmas. She really uses it as part of the story, almost as a third character.
Here is the full review: https://owlishbooks.com/2018/09/14/un...
More reviews on: www.owlishbooks.com
Mary Balogh has written several Christmas books, but this one is my favourites: Under the Mistletoe. Because it contains five lovely short stories: A Family Christmas, The Star of Bethlehem, The Best Gift, Playing House and No Room at the Inn. All of these are already available in other collections, except for A Family Christmas which was newly released here. Also, she doesn’t just use Christmas as a way to force an ending or as a little side-extra. All her Christmas stories cannot be set at any other time than at Christmas. She really uses it as part of the story, almost as a third character.
Here is the full review: https://owlishbooks.com/2018/09/14/un...
More reviews on: www.owlishbooks.com
February 18, 2014
Mary Balogh skirts the emotional line, veering close but never succumbing to easy cheesy Hallmark sentimentality, in these four reprinted and one new short story focusing on love developing or being reinvigorated by the warmth of family, holiday traditions, and kind acts. While the characters in each story are quite different, the cure for what ails them is all the same (multiple scenes of decorating the house for Christmas, and foraging for greenery & mistletoe; throw in some snowball fighting, some midnight mass attendance, and you've got your medicine). Nice if you're in the mood for heartwarming holiday cheer, although perhaps best read spread out over time, rather than all in one single sitting.
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