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Carhart
The Heart of Christmas
A Handful of Gold by Mary Balogh
Not only is Julian Dare dashing and wealthy, but he's the heir to an earldom. So what do you get a man who has everything? Innocent and comely Verity Ewing plans on giving Julian her heart—the most precious gift of all.
previously published in The Gifts of Christmas Anthology
The Season for Suitors (Tallants, #3.5) by Nicola Cornick
After some close encounters with rakes in which she was nearly compromised, heiress Clara Davenport realizes that she needs some expert advice. And who better for the job than Sebastian Fleet, the most notorious rake in town? But the tutelage doesn't go quite as planned, as both Sebastian and Clara find it difficult to remain objective when it comes to lessons of the heart!
previously published in Christmas Keepsakes Anthology
This Wicked Gift (Carhart, #0.5) by Courtney Milan
Lavinia Spencer has been saving her hard-earned pennies to provide her family with Christmas dinner. Days before the holiday, her brother is swindled, leaving them owing more than they can ever repay. Until a mysterious benefactor offers to settle the debt. Innocent Lavinia is stunned by what the dashing William White wants in return. Will she exchange a wicked gift for her family's fortune?
Not only is Julian Dare dashing and wealthy, but he's the heir to an earldom. So what do you get a man who has everything? Innocent and comely Verity Ewing plans on giving Julian her heart—the most precious gift of all.
previously published in The Gifts of Christmas Anthology
The Season for Suitors (Tallants, #3.5) by Nicola Cornick
After some close encounters with rakes in which she was nearly compromised, heiress Clara Davenport realizes that she needs some expert advice. And who better for the job than Sebastian Fleet, the most notorious rake in town? But the tutelage doesn't go quite as planned, as both Sebastian and Clara find it difficult to remain objective when it comes to lessons of the heart!
previously published in Christmas Keepsakes Anthology
This Wicked Gift (Carhart, #0.5) by Courtney Milan
Lavinia Spencer has been saving her hard-earned pennies to provide her family with Christmas dinner. Days before the holiday, her brother is swindled, leaving them owing more than they can ever repay. Until a mysterious benefactor offers to settle the debt. Innocent Lavinia is stunned by what the dashing William White wants in return. Will she exchange a wicked gift for her family's fortune?
378 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
102 people are currently reading
1931 people want to read
About the author
Mary Balogh
200 books6,354 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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 233 reviews
November 18, 2017
A HANDFUL OF GOLD by Mary Balogh
Julian Dare wants one last fling before he settles down and marries (to please his father). He meets stunning and sexy opera dancer Blanche Heyward (whose real name is Verity Ewing). Julian is attracted to her, and he makes her an offer (thinking since she's on the stage she's promiscuous)---he'll give her a large sum of money if she will spend Christmas week with him (as his lover) at his friend Bertie's place in Norfolkshire. Verity accepts (since her sister is sick and she needs the money for her sister's medical bills). But Julian is finding innocent Blanche/Verity isn't what she seems to be.
I really enjoyed this story. It started off a bit slow but it picked up after they arrived at Norfolkshire. It was festive and heartwarming. I liked when Verity got the uninterested staff very interested and enthusiastic about getting the place ready for Christmas. Everyone threw themselves into the preparations, including Bertie and his ladyfriend. I liked how the week turned out different than what they expected and showed them all the true meaning of Christmas.
THE SEASON FOR SUITORS by Nicola Cornick
Ever since Clara Davenport became an heiress (after her Godmother died and left her a lot of money) she has had suitors approaching her and trying to compromise her to get her to marry them and get at her money. She asks an old acquaintance (Sebastian Fleet) if he can teach her how to outwit a rake. (Since Sebastian is the town's most notorious rake Clara figures who better than him to teach her?) Sebastian refuses, but he agrees to act as her escort to keep the men away for awhile...
This was a short and pleasant read, though it didn't have that much Christmas in it. I didn't find it as captivating as the Mary Balogh story but it had its moments. I liked the part when all the hero's servants got together, approached Clara, and plotted with Clara on how to get the hero to admit he loves Clara. (Since they all knew he did.)
THIS WICKED GIFT by Courtney Milan
I didn't care for this story and I ended up skimming through most of it.
January 2, 2010
I don't have much to say about the first two stories, except that they were good. Both the Balogh story and the Cornick stories are reformed rake stories (it's fairly clear if you read my reviews that rakes are not my favorite types of heroes by far). I felt that the metamorphosis of Ms. Balogh's rake was a little more convincing. When I read a story about a rake, I really have to be convinced that he has depth, or he's just another one of far too many in historical romance. He's really got to stand out to get my regard. I felt that both rakes did have depth, but the brevity of the Cornick story didn't really allow me to buy into his redemption quite so well. On the other hand, the rake in The Season for Suitors had more reason for why he acted as he did, and he had a tortured past, but I think this story would have been better executed as a longer novella, despite the obvious excellence of Ms. Cornick's writing. Ms. Balogh's story was a reread for me. I liked it the first time, and the second time was just as good. However, I am a bit jaded with the theme, so I can't say I was blown away. I did like Verity quite a bit, and loved the aspects of Christmas, and the effect it had on the participants in this story. For A Handful of Gold by Ms. Balogh, I would give the rating of 4 stars. The Season for Suitors is a 3.5 star story.
The best story in this collection was by newcomer, Courtney Milan, This Wicked Gift. This story was like a refreshing drink on a hot day. I loved everything about this story. Ms. Milan's writing has an intensity and a depth that really enthralled me. It brought to mind some of my favorite historical romance writers who have a facility with the written word, and the beauty with which they employ it, such as Laura Kinsale and Judith Ivory. I believe that Ms. Milan has quite a career ahead of her. There is also the fact that William Q. White utterly seduced me. His intensity, his focus, his obvious feeling for Lavinia. I love that kind of hero. And then there's the fact that he's a working man. There's nothing I love more than a hero who works hard for his money, who pulls himself up by his own bootstraps. Out of all three of the stories, this is the hero that got my attention. I could care less about lazy heroes who have nothing better to do than spend their family's money. What's endearing about that. I'd take a man who made himself from nothing over a man who was born rich and is about nothing, any day of the week. That is not to say that I don't have favored heroes who were born in wealth, but they have to a drive, an inner intensity, to gain my appreciation. William is a man who has made my favorite hero list. His urgent need for Lavinia almost made me cry. He would have done something awful to keep her, but his integrity won out in the end. He made a very wicked proposition to have her for one night, but his reasons for doing it endeared him to me. And his remorse was very obvious and poignant. Lavinia also makes this story stand out. She is a very good person, and an extremely intelligent woman. She is easily as captivated and as in love with William as he is with her. She sees right through his wicked proposal, and takes him up on it for her own reasons. She's a heroine that goes after what she wants (him), and won't give up on it despite the odds against her. As I said above, this story was distinct and refreshing. It showed characters that we don't often get to see have a happy ending in historical romance. They aren't rich or titled. They are working class people, albeit extremely educated. I rooted for them to have their happy ending, hoping that their lives would not be dimmed by the blight of extreme poverty, despite their obvious devotion to each other. Thankfully, Christmas has some blessings in store for this wonderful couple. If you are a fan of historical romance, do yourself a favor and read Courtney Milan. I think you will find a wonderful reading experience when you do. This Wicked Gift earned five stars from this reader.
This was my last Christmas read for 2009, and the last book I read this year. I have to tell you, reading Courtney Milan's story in the last few minutes of 2009 was a great pleasure, and I look forward to spending more time with her (and hopefully more captivating heroes like William) in the new year and years to come.
Overall rating for this collection is 4 stars .
The best story in this collection was by newcomer, Courtney Milan, This Wicked Gift. This story was like a refreshing drink on a hot day. I loved everything about this story. Ms. Milan's writing has an intensity and a depth that really enthralled me. It brought to mind some of my favorite historical romance writers who have a facility with the written word, and the beauty with which they employ it, such as Laura Kinsale and Judith Ivory. I believe that Ms. Milan has quite a career ahead of her. There is also the fact that William Q. White utterly seduced me. His intensity, his focus, his obvious feeling for Lavinia. I love that kind of hero. And then there's the fact that he's a working man. There's nothing I love more than a hero who works hard for his money, who pulls himself up by his own bootstraps. Out of all three of the stories, this is the hero that got my attention. I could care less about lazy heroes who have nothing better to do than spend their family's money. What's endearing about that. I'd take a man who made himself from nothing over a man who was born rich and is about nothing, any day of the week. That is not to say that I don't have favored heroes who were born in wealth, but they have to a drive, an inner intensity, to gain my appreciation. William is a man who has made my favorite hero list. His urgent need for Lavinia almost made me cry. He would have done something awful to keep her, but his integrity won out in the end. He made a very wicked proposition to have her for one night, but his reasons for doing it endeared him to me. And his remorse was very obvious and poignant. Lavinia also makes this story stand out. She is a very good person, and an extremely intelligent woman. She is easily as captivated and as in love with William as he is with her. She sees right through his wicked proposal, and takes him up on it for her own reasons. She's a heroine that goes after what she wants (him), and won't give up on it despite the odds against her. As I said above, this story was distinct and refreshing. It showed characters that we don't often get to see have a happy ending in historical romance. They aren't rich or titled. They are working class people, albeit extremely educated. I rooted for them to have their happy ending, hoping that their lives would not be dimmed by the blight of extreme poverty, despite their obvious devotion to each other. Thankfully, Christmas has some blessings in store for this wonderful couple. If you are a fan of historical romance, do yourself a favor and read Courtney Milan. I think you will find a wonderful reading experience when you do. This Wicked Gift earned five stars from this reader.
This was my last Christmas read for 2009, and the last book I read this year. I have to tell you, reading Courtney Milan's story in the last few minutes of 2009 was a great pleasure, and I look forward to spending more time with her (and hopefully more captivating heroes like William) in the new year and years to come.
Overall rating for this collection is 4 stars .
December 14, 2021
De los tres relatos, mi favorito ha sido el último. El relato de Courtney Milan se escapa de los salones de baile y se mete de lleno en la pobreza (ecónomica y moral) con dos protagonistas que tienen muy poco y deben luchar para mantenerse a flote. La historia tiene un punto de partida que roza la sordidez, con una perversa e imperdonable propuesta, y, sin embargo, es fascinante ver óomo el relato utiliza ese hecho para tomar impulso, reflexionar sobre la soledad, la desesperanza y la culpa y, por último, dar un salto hacia la luz y la esperanza.
El de Mary Balogh también me ha gustado. Una historia reconfortante, romántica y que recuerda el verdadero sentido de la Navidad. El de Nicola Cornick me ha parecido algo más flojo en comparación con los otros, pero es entretenido y cumple su función.
El de Mary Balogh también me ha gustado. Una historia reconfortante, romántica y que recuerda el verdadero sentido de la Navidad. El de Nicola Cornick me ha parecido algo más flojo en comparación con los otros, pero es entretenido y cumple su función.
November 6, 2009
A Handful of Gold by Mary Balogh was my least favorite story in this anthology. We have the same old rehash of a plot with a gentleman rake who is bored in London surrounded by all his wealth. Julian Dare, Viscount Folingsby is out of sorts because his father is forcing him to marry. He’s twenty nine after all and it’s about time he settled down and has an heir. Julian has not finished sowing his oats but decided some relaxation is in order when his friend, Bertrand (what is up with that name?) invites him to his hunting box (for the life of me I still don’t understand what a hunting box is) for the holidays. Bertie has his mistress to keep him satisfied and wants Julian to bring his own mistress and come along for some cheer and holiday shagging. Julian has the perfect woman picked out. She is Blanche Heyward, a dancer for the opera with “long, shapely legs with long titan hair and emerald eyes.” Julian is smitten or rather horny for this titan; emerald eyed beauty and asks her to join him for some holiday debauchery.
Blanche is actually Miss Verity Ewing, a virginal young miss who pretends to be a worldly opera singer in order to pay for the costly medicine for her sick sister. Verity’s mother and sister have no clue about her secret life and tells them some laughable excuse about being a hired companion for a eccentric lady who needs Verity mainly at night. When Julian meets her at the opera and takes her to dinner, he explains how he longs for company for the week and will pay her five hundred pounds. Verity accepts because the money will help her sister. And all of London society thinks she’s a fallen woman anyway (except her clueless mother) because an opera dancer could never be a virgin! Who knew being on stage could make a woman a hussy?
Julian and Verity head off for their week long adventure and even though Verity is nervous about being ruined by Julian, she decides to welcome his advances because Julian should have wonderful skills in the bedroom because of his reputation. He kisses her and figures out that Verity’s lips are virgin ones and is insulted. How dare she lie to him! He’s been played the fool. Now Julian and Verity are together for the week and can’t act on their desire for one another because of Verity being so pure and innocent.
A Handful of Gold was a ridiculous little story. How many times have I read before about the acclaimed opera singer actually being some virginal and precious young miss who catches the eyes of the biggest rake in all of London? Verity had no personality to speak of and Julian was a dullard.
Nicola Cornick’s The Season For Suitors was a cute and fun read about two people who are so right for one another but try to ignore their feelings because they think they want different things in life. Sebastian, Duke of Fleet is yet another London rake who is bored with life in general. Things begin to look up when he receives a letter from Clara Davencourt. Sebastian is surprised to hear from Clara due to the falling out they had eighteen months ago because he rejected her offer of marriage. She was insulted, hurled a few choice words at him and they haven't spoken since then. Now Clara is asking Sebastian for advice. Sebastian longs to be friends with her again. Clara is also pleased with renewing their acquaintance because Sebastian is a skilled rake. She needs him to help her with all these new rakes that keep popping up and trying to seduce her because she is now a rich heiress due to her godmother who died and left her a fortune. Clara is not ready to be married and since Sebastian isn’t either, he’ll help her out.
Soon Sebastian is under Clara’s spell but can’t give into his desire for her, mainly because he respects her too much and feels he’s not worthy because of something that happened in his past that still affects him. If Sebastian can forgive himself over the guilt he feels for this past deed, he’ll finally have the best holiday ever in the arms of the woman he has grown to love.
The Season for Suitors is a witty little tale with two lovely characters who can see how special each other is with their quirks and all. Both Sebastian and Clara are fun loving individuals and there are a few laughs withn the pages that makes for fun reading.
Courtney Milan’s His Wicked Gift was my favorite of the three. Courtney takes a Charles Dicken’s Christmas Carol and gives it a nice twist with a regency romance where a mysterious man finds love with a poor girl who runs her father’s lending library business.
Lavinia Spencer has cut corners and saved every penny of her hard earned money to give her father and younger brother a very special Christmas. Times are tough and Lavinia spends her days running her family’s business because her father can’t any longer due to an illness. She also looks forward to seeing a special subscriber on certain days. William Q. White makes Lavinia’s heart flutter. The way he speaks makes her tingle. There's something so very special about this man who uses long vowels when he talks. Instead of William using the smell of sandalwood to make Lavinia, giddy, all he has to do is to recite the alphabet to seduce her.
Unfortunately Lavinia’s younger brother James does something foolish that will ruin their whole holiday. Lavinia thinks everything is lost until Mister William Q. White comes to her aid. William has come into a bit of money and will give Lavinia what she needs if she gives him her body. William has gone through tough times and is barely making ends meet working in a counting house for a man who is a total scrooge. But he has been given ten pounds from the death of someone in his past who he felt owed him a great deal. And since William feels he has sacrificed so much, he wants one bright thing to get him through the harsh unforgiving winter and that is Lavinia.
Lavinia is shocked and scandalized but there is something special she finds in William whose ways of speech is an aphrodisiac. One thing leads to another and Williams gets what he wants. He feels immense guilt over being such a blackguard, as Lavinia first calls him, but Lavinia shows him that the holidays are all about forgiveness, hope and kindness. And because of this, she has given him a most special gift. *the gift of the magic hoo haa comes to mind here*
This Wicked Gift was very sexy and sweet. The physical side of William and Lavinia’s relationship happens a bit too fast, and Lavinia’s reaction to William’s “help” was a bit unbelievable, but overall I really did enjoy how these two clicked. Too bad the story was so short because I would have loved to read something meatier between the two. Courtney really knows how to keep a reader interested, because what could be better than making some steamy love among a room full of books?
Two out of three isn’t a bad thing and I would say that The Heart of the Christmas anthology is nice for those who want to get in the mood for the holidays with their historical romance reading
Blanche is actually Miss Verity Ewing, a virginal young miss who pretends to be a worldly opera singer in order to pay for the costly medicine for her sick sister. Verity’s mother and sister have no clue about her secret life and tells them some laughable excuse about being a hired companion for a eccentric lady who needs Verity mainly at night. When Julian meets her at the opera and takes her to dinner, he explains how he longs for company for the week and will pay her five hundred pounds. Verity accepts because the money will help her sister. And all of London society thinks she’s a fallen woman anyway (except her clueless mother) because an opera dancer could never be a virgin! Who knew being on stage could make a woman a hussy?
Julian and Verity head off for their week long adventure and even though Verity is nervous about being ruined by Julian, she decides to welcome his advances because Julian should have wonderful skills in the bedroom because of his reputation. He kisses her and figures out that Verity’s lips are virgin ones and is insulted. How dare she lie to him! He’s been played the fool. Now Julian and Verity are together for the week and can’t act on their desire for one another because of Verity being so pure and innocent.
A Handful of Gold was a ridiculous little story. How many times have I read before about the acclaimed opera singer actually being some virginal and precious young miss who catches the eyes of the biggest rake in all of London? Verity had no personality to speak of and Julian was a dullard.
Nicola Cornick’s The Season For Suitors was a cute and fun read about two people who are so right for one another but try to ignore their feelings because they think they want different things in life. Sebastian, Duke of Fleet is yet another London rake who is bored with life in general. Things begin to look up when he receives a letter from Clara Davencourt. Sebastian is surprised to hear from Clara due to the falling out they had eighteen months ago because he rejected her offer of marriage. She was insulted, hurled a few choice words at him and they haven't spoken since then. Now Clara is asking Sebastian for advice. Sebastian longs to be friends with her again. Clara is also pleased with renewing their acquaintance because Sebastian is a skilled rake. She needs him to help her with all these new rakes that keep popping up and trying to seduce her because she is now a rich heiress due to her godmother who died and left her a fortune. Clara is not ready to be married and since Sebastian isn’t either, he’ll help her out.
Soon Sebastian is under Clara’s spell but can’t give into his desire for her, mainly because he respects her too much and feels he’s not worthy because of something that happened in his past that still affects him. If Sebastian can forgive himself over the guilt he feels for this past deed, he’ll finally have the best holiday ever in the arms of the woman he has grown to love.
The Season for Suitors is a witty little tale with two lovely characters who can see how special each other is with their quirks and all. Both Sebastian and Clara are fun loving individuals and there are a few laughs withn the pages that makes for fun reading.
Courtney Milan’s His Wicked Gift was my favorite of the three. Courtney takes a Charles Dicken’s Christmas Carol and gives it a nice twist with a regency romance where a mysterious man finds love with a poor girl who runs her father’s lending library business.
Lavinia Spencer has cut corners and saved every penny of her hard earned money to give her father and younger brother a very special Christmas. Times are tough and Lavinia spends her days running her family’s business because her father can’t any longer due to an illness. She also looks forward to seeing a special subscriber on certain days. William Q. White makes Lavinia’s heart flutter. The way he speaks makes her tingle. There's something so very special about this man who uses long vowels when he talks. Instead of William using the smell of sandalwood to make Lavinia, giddy, all he has to do is to recite the alphabet to seduce her.
Unfortunately Lavinia’s younger brother James does something foolish that will ruin their whole holiday. Lavinia thinks everything is lost until Mister William Q. White comes to her aid. William has come into a bit of money and will give Lavinia what she needs if she gives him her body. William has gone through tough times and is barely making ends meet working in a counting house for a man who is a total scrooge. But he has been given ten pounds from the death of someone in his past who he felt owed him a great deal. And since William feels he has sacrificed so much, he wants one bright thing to get him through the harsh unforgiving winter and that is Lavinia.
Lavinia is shocked and scandalized but there is something special she finds in William whose ways of speech is an aphrodisiac. One thing leads to another and Williams gets what he wants. He feels immense guilt over being such a blackguard, as Lavinia first calls him, but Lavinia shows him that the holidays are all about forgiveness, hope and kindness. And because of this, she has given him a most special gift. *the gift of the magic hoo haa comes to mind here*
This Wicked Gift was very sexy and sweet. The physical side of William and Lavinia’s relationship happens a bit too fast, and Lavinia’s reaction to William’s “help” was a bit unbelievable, but overall I really did enjoy how these two clicked. Too bad the story was so short because I would have loved to read something meatier between the two. Courtney really knows how to keep a reader interested, because what could be better than making some steamy love among a room full of books?
Two out of three isn’t a bad thing and I would say that The Heart of the Christmas anthology is nice for those who want to get in the mood for the holidays with their historical romance reading
December 12, 2017
A Handful of Gold
introduces Julian Dare, Viscount Follingsby, a young and outrageously handsome rogue who is more than ready to be redeemed. Currently, Julian is drunk and thinking the best way to bed Blanche Heyward, the extraordinarily beautiful opera singer... Alas, I can’t go on with the storyline. Just remembering it makes me sleepy. This was undoubtedly a very wrong story to introduce the big name of Mary Balogh. The weakest point was not the cliché storyline, though it was overly so. What’s worse was the cardboard characters. There’s nothing the hero and heroine will do that you can’t predict. Julian is a prince charming disguising as a rake and Blanche is the Cinderella with a heart so pure it put angels to shame. Mind you, I’m not joking. She will spook you with her kindness. There wasn’t a single thing that I enjoyed in this opening novella. Cliche story, flat characters, predictable plot.
Even the lovely writing couldn’t save the story from earning my 2 stars rating.
Still wandering around the theme of redeemed rake, The Season for Suitors presents Sebastian, Duke of Fleet, who just received a letter from his former suitor, Miss Clara Davencourt. This time Miss Clara doesn’t want to propose Sebastian, she just needs his help regarding her brother’s problem. The last thing Sebastian wants is a wife. An incident that happened when he was young made him believes he’s incapable of taking care someone else. But when Miss Clara asks for his help, Sebastian knows it would bring him some trouble he just can’t resist.
As my first read by Nicola Corwick, Season of Suitors was quite an enjoyable read. The story is focused on Sebastian’s conflict because to have what he really wants, all he needs to do is to forgive him self and move on. Sebastian and Clara feel strong attraction to each other but I felt their longing and reluctance altogether. We don’t find many historical romance with heroines being the suitors. I liked it when she has the guts to confront Sebastian again after he rejected her. What (kind of) ruined the story for me was the plan to make Sebastian confesses his love to Clara, which involves Christian’s servants, Clara herself, and alcohol drinks (Gah!). It was rather ridiculous. And so I gave my 3 stars rating for an enjoyable but not so memorable read.
Now, on to the last story.
You know you can count on Courtney Milan to give you a HR with refreshing theme. The thing is, my history with her books is not so impressive. Nothing’s wrong with the writing. Sometimes the story went wrong, sometimes it’s the characters. I had been wondering if I should give up hope and say this author is not for me. Boy I’m so glad I had not given up hope.
This is a historical romance which none of the protagonists belongs to the aristocracy. William White is not a rich man. In fact, he’s dealing with a problem that can cause him to lose his job. Does poverty make him a good man? Not really.
“My interest?” His voice was quiet. “I assure you, my only interest is in your body.”
He might have been a blackguard, but he had no intention of being a liar. “Nothing really worth having is free. If the cost of having you is your hatred, I’ll pay it.”
Interesting enough? No? Don’t worry. There’s more, because The Wicked Gift has one of the best romance heroines I’ve ever known.
“Lavinia,” he said carefully, “I don’t deserve such a gift.”
“Nobody gets gifts because he deserves them.” She stood up and shook out her wrinkled chemise. “You get gifts because the giver wants to give them.”
It’s amazing how an author could wrap up together a hero with his realistic insecurity, a heroine so young and yet so wise because her life has given her the tenacity and responsibility, a romance which is not started rightly but ended perfectly, a heart-warming relationship between a sister and her younger brother, all works wonderfully despite the short length of a mere novella. It was beautiful, plausible, HOT!, and so much fun I thoroughly enjoyed it to pieces. The Wicked Gift deserves my 5 magical stars. Strongly recommended!
Even the lovely writing couldn’t save the story from earning my 2 stars rating.
Still wandering around the theme of redeemed rake, The Season for Suitors presents Sebastian, Duke of Fleet, who just received a letter from his former suitor, Miss Clara Davencourt. This time Miss Clara doesn’t want to propose Sebastian, she just needs his help regarding her brother’s problem. The last thing Sebastian wants is a wife. An incident that happened when he was young made him believes he’s incapable of taking care someone else. But when Miss Clara asks for his help, Sebastian knows it would bring him some trouble he just can’t resist.
As my first read by Nicola Corwick, Season of Suitors was quite an enjoyable read. The story is focused on Sebastian’s conflict because to have what he really wants, all he needs to do is to forgive him self and move on. Sebastian and Clara feel strong attraction to each other but I felt their longing and reluctance altogether. We don’t find many historical romance with heroines being the suitors. I liked it when she has the guts to confront Sebastian again after he rejected her. What (kind of) ruined the story for me was the plan to make Sebastian confesses his love to Clara, which involves Christian’s servants, Clara herself, and alcohol drinks (Gah!). It was rather ridiculous. And so I gave my 3 stars rating for an enjoyable but not so memorable read.
Now, on to the last story.
You know you can count on Courtney Milan to give you a HR with refreshing theme. The thing is, my history with her books is not so impressive. Nothing’s wrong with the writing. Sometimes the story went wrong, sometimes it’s the characters. I had been wondering if I should give up hope and say this author is not for me. Boy I’m so glad I had not given up hope.
This is a historical romance which none of the protagonists belongs to the aristocracy. William White is not a rich man. In fact, he’s dealing with a problem that can cause him to lose his job. Does poverty make him a good man? Not really.
“My interest?” His voice was quiet. “I assure you, my only interest is in your body.”
He might have been a blackguard, but he had no intention of being a liar. “Nothing really worth having is free. If the cost of having you is your hatred, I’ll pay it.”
Interesting enough? No? Don’t worry. There’s more, because The Wicked Gift has one of the best romance heroines I’ve ever known.
“Lavinia,” he said carefully, “I don’t deserve such a gift.”
“Nobody gets gifts because he deserves them.” She stood up and shook out her wrinkled chemise. “You get gifts because the giver wants to give them.”
It’s amazing how an author could wrap up together a hero with his realistic insecurity, a heroine so young and yet so wise because her life has given her the tenacity and responsibility, a romance which is not started rightly but ended perfectly, a heart-warming relationship between a sister and her younger brother, all works wonderfully despite the short length of a mere novella. It was beautiful, plausible, HOT!, and so much fun I thoroughly enjoyed it to pieces. The Wicked Gift deserves my 5 magical stars. Strongly recommended!
December 28, 2015
Rating for the Milan; haven't read the other two.
Lydia's family runs a bookshop. She has a crush on a customer to whom she's never spoken. When the family is in desperate straits, William offers to pay Lydia enough for sex to rescue the family's livelihood. He thinks repeatedly to himself that he doesn't care if she doesn't want to have sex with him. He wants to have sex with her. He knows she'll hate it. He doesn't care. So he rapes her -- but, wait, it's not rape! It's not rape even though he had sex with her believing she did not freely consent! Because she's in love with him (despite the fact that the only time they've spoken he essentially used her desperation to rape her)! She feels so sad for all his loneliness and trauma!
A lot of romance features rape fantasy ("forced seduction"), or romanticizes rape, or eroticizes situations that would be horrific in real life. Whether or not I like these scenarios or can't stand them depends on many different factors, including the balance between fantasy and emotional realism and on whether the characters and the narrative recognize these acts as problematic. In this case, the balance between the emotional realism around the more depressing aspects of William's and Lavinia's lives makes the fantasy treatment of their "relationship" (in which they never even talk to each other before the day William asks Lavinia to prostitute herself for him) completely untenable to me. The entire story reads like a rapist's wish fulfillment fantasy. It is incredibly repulsive.
I'm glad I read "Unlocked" and the Carhart novels before this, because if this had been the first thing I'd ever read by Milan, I never would have read her again.
Lydia's family runs a bookshop. She has a crush on a customer to whom she's never spoken. When the family is in desperate straits, William offers to pay Lydia enough for sex to rescue the family's livelihood. He thinks repeatedly to himself that he doesn't care if she doesn't want to have sex with him. He wants to have sex with her. He knows she'll hate it. He doesn't care. So he rapes her -- but, wait, it's not rape! It's not rape even though he had sex with her believing she did not freely consent! Because she's in love with him (despite the fact that the only time they've spoken he essentially used her desperation to rape her)! She feels so sad for all his loneliness and trauma!
A lot of romance features rape fantasy ("forced seduction"), or romanticizes rape, or eroticizes situations that would be horrific in real life. Whether or not I like these scenarios or can't stand them depends on many different factors, including the balance between fantasy and emotional realism and on whether the characters and the narrative recognize these acts as problematic. In this case, the balance between the emotional realism around the more depressing aspects of William's and Lavinia's lives makes the fantasy treatment of their "relationship" (in which they never even talk to each other before the day William asks Lavinia to prostitute herself for him) completely untenable to me. The entire story reads like a rapist's wish fulfillment fantasy. It is incredibly repulsive.
I'm glad I read "Unlocked" and the Carhart novels before this, because if this had been the first thing I'd ever read by Milan, I never would have read her again.
November 28, 2025
There had been laughter as well as desire involved in that kiss. He had never before thought of laughter as a desirable component of a sexual experience.
Disclaimer: I've only read the Balogh novella in this anthology, so please note that my rating is only for this story, not for the entire book.
The story starts out just fine. Julian Dare, Viscount Folingsby, is expected to marry and produce heirs soon. So he decides to ignore the Christmas festivities and to spend his last Christmas as a free man with his friend Bertie and their mistresses in Bertie’s hunting lodge. Unfortunately, he doesn't have a mistress, so he charms opera dancer Blanche into spending seven days–or rather nights–with him. Five hundred pounds might help his case, especially since Blanche/Verity is in dire need of money for her family.
However, things don't go as planned. On their first night at the lodge, Julian is shocked to learn that his supposedly promiscuous opera dancer is actually an utterly inexperienced virgin. I liked that he realized it and stopped, even though she's willing to honor the deal and sleep with him. Nevertheless, it is his fault that the well-rested and underutilized Verity takes charge of the Christmas preparations the next morning, which were neither planned nor desired. She chases the servants around and forces Julian, Bertie, and his mistress Debbie into the blizzard to gather greenery and mistletoe.
As we all know, Christmas isn't Christmas without children. So, conveniently, a reverend’s family with two children has a carriage accident right in front of the house and stay for the feast. The reverend can perform a Christmas service, including the Holy communion, and (almost) everyone is happy. For me, the book became much too religious and spiritual in the end; that’s just not my thing.
Also not my thing (as you are well aware if you follow me) is a stupid third-act breakup for stupid reasons, especially in a novella. And her reasons were extremely stupid.
I didn’t warm to story or main characters and I wasn't interested in the couple or their irrelevant relationship. I wouldn’t recommend this novella if you have other options on your TBR list. It might speak for itself that Balogh reissued almost all of her novellas and full-length novels, but not this one.
1.5
Disclaimer: I've only read the Balogh novella in this anthology, so please note that my rating is only for this story, not for the entire book.
The story starts out just fine. Julian Dare, Viscount Folingsby, is expected to marry and produce heirs soon. So he decides to ignore the Christmas festivities and to spend his last Christmas as a free man with his friend Bertie and their mistresses in Bertie’s hunting lodge. Unfortunately, he doesn't have a mistress, so he charms opera dancer Blanche into spending seven days–or rather nights–with him. Five hundred pounds might help his case, especially since Blanche/Verity is in dire need of money for her family.
However, things don't go as planned. On their first night at the lodge, Julian is shocked to learn that his supposedly promiscuous opera dancer is actually an utterly inexperienced virgin. I liked that he realized it and stopped, even though she's willing to honor the deal and sleep with him. Nevertheless, it is his fault that the well-rested and underutilized Verity takes charge of the Christmas preparations the next morning, which were neither planned nor desired. She chases the servants around and forces Julian, Bertie, and his mistress Debbie into the blizzard to gather greenery and mistletoe.
As we all know, Christmas isn't Christmas without children. So, conveniently, a reverend’s family with two children has a carriage accident right in front of the house and stay for the feast. The reverend can perform a Christmas service, including the Holy communion, and (almost) everyone is happy. For me, the book became much too religious and spiritual in the end; that’s just not my thing.
Also not my thing (as you are well aware if you follow me) is a stupid third-act breakup for stupid reasons, especially in a novella. And her reasons were extremely stupid.
I didn’t warm to story or main characters and I wasn't interested in the couple or their irrelevant relationship. I wouldn’t recommend this novella if you have other options on your TBR list. It might speak for itself that Balogh reissued almost all of her novellas and full-length novels, but not this one.
1.5
November 25, 2017
I had already read Milan's story as part of the Carthart series and the reread was just as enjoyable. I love William Q. White. He is man desperate to do anything to have the love of his woman but refuses to surrender his integrity and morals. The story of an impoverished working man and his triumph over poverty by ingenuity and hard work is far more inspiring to me than cynical Rakes who spend their time and money to obtain pleasure. I still enjoyed the other two stories even though they were pretty predictable and unoriginal...the real winner of this set is hands down Milan's novella.
August 6, 2018
Wow!
All 3 stories took me to a happy place. *sigh*
Novella/short story romances certainly work better as the author can leave off the filler cr*p and just give you the fluff to roll about in. And with the christmas theme, you know some magic will be at play to soften up even the hardest of hearts.
Mary Balogh's - 4*
Nicola Cornick's - 3.5*
Courtney Milan's - 5*!
All 3 stories took me to a happy place. *sigh*
Novella/short story romances certainly work better as the author can leave off the filler cr*p and just give you the fluff to roll about in. And with the christmas theme, you know some magic will be at play to soften up even the hardest of hearts.
Mary Balogh's - 4*
Nicola Cornick's - 3.5*
Courtney Milan's - 5*!
January 1, 2016
Very Christmasy. MB writes the best Christmas reads. I love that her Christmas reads always touches on the true meaning of Christmas. This was a sugary sweet Cinderella story. I would only read this at Christmas time though.
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November 14, 2011
My review contains spoilers and they're mostly my thoughts as I went with the book...
Note: this review and rating is solely based on Courtney Milan’s novella, “This Wicked Gift” (4.5), which is a part of her Carhart series.
“This Wicked Gift”, Courtney Milan
I mean wow wow wow! Such a wonderful novella! A beautiful story between two souls that clicked and fitted in a way I didn’t think I’d find in a novella. Courtney Milan’s “This Wicked Gift” stole my heart, so did William. If you’ve read her Carhart series, you’d know William White from book #1, who works as Gareth’s man of affair. I never would’ve thought what a sexy darling he would be. I didn’t read the novella before Proof by Seduction so I had no idea. I thought he’s just another secondary character, with a boring life. OMG but didn’t he prove me wrong? His and Lavinia’s chemistry was so intense and his need for Lavinia was so strong... Ah, all I can do is *sigh* This book takes place about 15 or so years before Proof by Seduction.
Lavinia scrimps and saves and does anything to save a few pennies to go on. She runs her father’s lending library all her herself. With her father very sick, mother deceased and an imbecile of a younger brother, she has no other option. So she tries to save whatever she could. This year she’d saved about 2 pounds for a fitting Christmas dinner, something she’d only dream on the other ordinary days of her life. But even in her sad existence, there’s this little ray of life, a tingle of hope among other things is one of the customers of the library- a certain William Q. White. I loved the way Lavinia thought about William. I loved how her musings give us a picture of her adoration for him. It was so good to read. They’re one of those couple, you just know, are meant to be together! So when William walked into the library, Lavinia’s body began to tingle no doubt, her toes curl when he gives her a brief glance just to say his greeting. He isn’t the type to talk and charm you out of your petticoat. He’s the type who would look at you and talk with his eyes, to let you know how much he wants you. Yah, William is a reserved man. Lavinia only wishes he’d come forward and express what’s in his mind because she knows very well he feels something for her. Anyway, after a brief search in her savings, she finds out her 2 pounds is nowhere to be found and out goes her plans for the Christmas! She knew who did this, none other than her stupid brother James. Let me tell you, there are more than one lines in this little novella that I found I could quote. Hell, I could quote the entire novella, the writing was so good; funny, sweet, sexy and oh yes, White HOT! *giggles*
I have a younger brother and I do know a few things about the language that is called Younger Brother *wink wink* and yes, Lavinia, I know exactly what you felt. I’ve been through such rage myself. It turns out, James has ‘loaned’ the money to some fraud, without knowing that the man was using him. Do all the younger brothers function this way? Hmm, my food for thought! :p Lavinia lectures him, knowing there’s nothing to be done at the moment. She thinks and thinks hard how to save James from this catastrophe. The man might take this to the magistrate so she has to buy out the contract from that man. James just up and leaves knowing Lavinia is ‘taking care’ of it. Oh God, they do function the same way! But, William hears it all and a plan comes to his mind. Now I have to talk about William here a bit. He isn’t wealthy at all. Being a clerk working under the Marquess of Blakely isn’t profitable at all. He used to live a comfortable life once upon a time but fate and a man’s greed took that away from him. He’s lost everything including his father, who committed suicide because of that. Life hasn’t been very kind to him. William has a sharp mind and is very meticulous about his work as a clerk. He’s patient and observant but when it comes to Lavinia, he falters in everything. He’s been coming to this library for about a year now and have been in love with her ever since. But he knows he has no prospect in life. He’d never make the woman he loves to suffer without a stable financial condition. William has dreamed a lot; he thought with his potentials, he’d ultimately do something big. He even self-taught himself on agriculture and so on, if someday, someway he could manage an estate for someone else. So, life cannot be any bleaker for William, if only not for Lavinia.
So, when William hears about James’s recent stupidity, his mind works. Since according to him, he’s never been a gentleman, he zooms on a plan; to have Lavinia in his bed for a night, in return he’ll buy out the paper from the fraud with his recent mockery of ‘inheritance’ coming from the man who ruined his life in the first place (I won’t go into details about it). Oh but the man is just desperate to have Lavinia in his bed, knowing he’ll never get a chance to have her in his life. There was NOTHING malicious in his intent as you’ll find out reading his thoughts about Lavinia. So he asks Lavinia (oh the scene was good!) to find him in his quarters tomorrow.
Lavinia knew, from William’s looks, what he wanted from her and yet she went. She knew she doesn’t need to buy the papers since her brother is a minor and the contract, thus, isn’t valid. She knew she could just say it and be done with it. Yet she went because she wanted William the same way. When William proposed the one time thing, Lavinia was surprised but not shocked. Even though it might look like they did it too soon, I thought their lovemaking was just meant to be, at that moment in that time. Lavinia read through William’s acts on ‘I’m not a gentleman’. It was great, simply great! William was a darling, how can Lavinia not want the man? So after that, when William is overcome with guilt, Lavinia tells him she came to him willingly. Still William is not convinced. If you’d just read how he berates himself for doing what he did to Lavinia, oh the poor man!
After that they see each-other again, in the library but nothing happens, only William gets a ‘threat’ from James. William’s thought on how James almost looks like a broom with his bony body, was hilarious! At night, Lavinia can’t sleep so she goes to see William again. I couldn’t believe it of course, it was well after midnight, that she arrives safe and sound on William’s doorstep without coming to any harm! But the scene after that, the things William tells her to make her understand the vainness of their situation, was hot yet heart wrenching. What I loved was the way he said it all:
“If you were my wife, you’d take your bread without butter. You would mend your gloves three, four, five times over, until the material became more darn than fabric. And when the babes came, we’d have to remove from even these tiny and insupportable quarters into a part of London that is even less safe than this address. We’d have no other way to support a family.”
“When the babes came?” Those words sent a happy thrill through her.
He turned to contemplate the fire again. “I am not such a fool as to imagine they wouldn’t. Lavinia, if you were my wife, the babes would come. And come. And come. I couldn’t keep my hands off you. I pray one is not already on the way.”
I had to quote it. The man was simply insane for her and there were more White hot lines in that scene. Ahemm, excuse me as I fan myself a bit! Anyway, he also talks about his own life to Lavinia, to prove again that he’s not worth her attentions. Lavinia has plans in her mind too, to let this man understand that life is worth more than this. I loved the scene afterwards, when William walks Lavinia to her home. You can’t but love their banters, again, the way Lavinia so totally understands William. It’s so apparent that she, too, adores him.
In the meantime, we get to see a bit of William’s work place. We meet Gareth’s frosty grandfather, the then Marquess and a young Gareth who was Viscount Wyndleton then. It helped me understanding his relationship with his grandfather a lot. Also, it seems like Gareth and William formed a kind of unspoken companionship from that young age. One thing I had troubles with was Gareth’s age, in this novella as well as in Proof by Seduction. If I take in the years and Gareth’s age as it was mentioned in Proof by Seduction, it doesn’t really match. Gareth is supposed to be older than he was mentioned in Proof by Seduction. I don’t know but I have this thing to compare situations when I read a series. Anyway it didn’t matter. I enjoyed reading about these two. Gareth ended up helping William ‘solve’ his financial situation as well as Gareth’s own by hiring him with a great salary. William had other options before Gareth’s help came to him like a life saver but those would’ve made him do stage some deceptions. He was torn apart with the thoughts of what to do; he wants Lavinia and money coming from that help him get her, on the other hand, Lavinia wouldn’t ever condone this so... Oh poor guy! But, in the end, he made the right choice IMO.
The ending was just marvelous, I won’t talk about it though. I’ll only finish by saying that read this novella, it’ll melt your heart. I don’t remember rating a novella 4.5 stars before but This Wicked Gift gets it. My only complain, this should’ve been a full novel. I wouldn’t have minded ‘knowing’ more about Mr. White, if you know what I mean. ;)
Quote I liked from “This Wicked Gift”-
There were many mind you, difficult to pick just one!
“Do not tell me you barred the door just so that you could steal a mere kiss. Really, William. Is that all?”
A slow smile spread across his face. His hands pressed against her waist and then slid lower, the heat of his palms burning into her hips.
“Is that all?” he echoed. “No, damn it.” His hands inched down to her thighs. “There’s more. There’s much more.”
*Update*
Want to have a good laugh? Read Mr. Milan’s review of “This Wicked Gift” here! Had to share it. :p
Note: this review and rating is solely based on Courtney Milan’s novella, “This Wicked Gift” (4.5), which is a part of her Carhart series.
“This Wicked Gift”, Courtney Milan
I mean wow wow wow! Such a wonderful novella! A beautiful story between two souls that clicked and fitted in a way I didn’t think I’d find in a novella. Courtney Milan’s “This Wicked Gift” stole my heart, so did William. If you’ve read her Carhart series, you’d know William White from book #1, who works as Gareth’s man of affair. I never would’ve thought what a sexy darling he would be. I didn’t read the novella before Proof by Seduction so I had no idea. I thought he’s just another secondary character, with a boring life. OMG but didn’t he prove me wrong? His and Lavinia’s chemistry was so intense and his need for Lavinia was so strong... Ah, all I can do is *sigh* This book takes place about 15 or so years before Proof by Seduction.
Lavinia scrimps and saves and does anything to save a few pennies to go on. She runs her father’s lending library all her herself. With her father very sick, mother deceased and an imbecile of a younger brother, she has no other option. So she tries to save whatever she could. This year she’d saved about 2 pounds for a fitting Christmas dinner, something she’d only dream on the other ordinary days of her life. But even in her sad existence, there’s this little ray of life, a tingle of hope among other things is one of the customers of the library- a certain William Q. White. I loved the way Lavinia thought about William. I loved how her musings give us a picture of her adoration for him. It was so good to read. They’re one of those couple, you just know, are meant to be together! So when William walked into the library, Lavinia’s body began to tingle no doubt, her toes curl when he gives her a brief glance just to say his greeting. He isn’t the type to talk and charm you out of your petticoat. He’s the type who would look at you and talk with his eyes, to let you know how much he wants you. Yah, William is a reserved man. Lavinia only wishes he’d come forward and express what’s in his mind because she knows very well he feels something for her. Anyway, after a brief search in her savings, she finds out her 2 pounds is nowhere to be found and out goes her plans for the Christmas! She knew who did this, none other than her stupid brother James. Let me tell you, there are more than one lines in this little novella that I found I could quote. Hell, I could quote the entire novella, the writing was so good; funny, sweet, sexy and oh yes, White HOT! *giggles*
I have a younger brother and I do know a few things about the language that is called Younger Brother *wink wink* and yes, Lavinia, I know exactly what you felt. I’ve been through such rage myself. It turns out, James has ‘loaned’ the money to some fraud, without knowing that the man was using him. Do all the younger brothers function this way? Hmm, my food for thought! :p Lavinia lectures him, knowing there’s nothing to be done at the moment. She thinks and thinks hard how to save James from this catastrophe. The man might take this to the magistrate so she has to buy out the contract from that man. James just up and leaves knowing Lavinia is ‘taking care’ of it. Oh God, they do function the same way! But, William hears it all and a plan comes to his mind. Now I have to talk about William here a bit. He isn’t wealthy at all. Being a clerk working under the Marquess of Blakely isn’t profitable at all. He used to live a comfortable life once upon a time but fate and a man’s greed took that away from him. He’s lost everything including his father, who committed suicide because of that. Life hasn’t been very kind to him. William has a sharp mind and is very meticulous about his work as a clerk. He’s patient and observant but when it comes to Lavinia, he falters in everything. He’s been coming to this library for about a year now and have been in love with her ever since. But he knows he has no prospect in life. He’d never make the woman he loves to suffer without a stable financial condition. William has dreamed a lot; he thought with his potentials, he’d ultimately do something big. He even self-taught himself on agriculture and so on, if someday, someway he could manage an estate for someone else. So, life cannot be any bleaker for William, if only not for Lavinia.
So, when William hears about James’s recent stupidity, his mind works. Since according to him, he’s never been a gentleman, he zooms on a plan; to have Lavinia in his bed for a night, in return he’ll buy out the paper from the fraud with his recent mockery of ‘inheritance’ coming from the man who ruined his life in the first place (I won’t go into details about it). Oh but the man is just desperate to have Lavinia in his bed, knowing he’ll never get a chance to have her in his life. There was NOTHING malicious in his intent as you’ll find out reading his thoughts about Lavinia. So he asks Lavinia (oh the scene was good!) to find him in his quarters tomorrow.
Lavinia knew, from William’s looks, what he wanted from her and yet she went. She knew she doesn’t need to buy the papers since her brother is a minor and the contract, thus, isn’t valid. She knew she could just say it and be done with it. Yet she went because she wanted William the same way. When William proposed the one time thing, Lavinia was surprised but not shocked. Even though it might look like they did it too soon, I thought their lovemaking was just meant to be, at that moment in that time. Lavinia read through William’s acts on ‘I’m not a gentleman’. It was great, simply great! William was a darling, how can Lavinia not want the man? So after that, when William is overcome with guilt, Lavinia tells him she came to him willingly. Still William is not convinced. If you’d just read how he berates himself for doing what he did to Lavinia, oh the poor man!
After that they see each-other again, in the library but nothing happens, only William gets a ‘threat’ from James. William’s thought on how James almost looks like a broom with his bony body, was hilarious! At night, Lavinia can’t sleep so she goes to see William again. I couldn’t believe it of course, it was well after midnight, that she arrives safe and sound on William’s doorstep without coming to any harm! But the scene after that, the things William tells her to make her understand the vainness of their situation, was hot yet heart wrenching. What I loved was the way he said it all:
“If you were my wife, you’d take your bread without butter. You would mend your gloves three, four, five times over, until the material became more darn than fabric. And when the babes came, we’d have to remove from even these tiny and insupportable quarters into a part of London that is even less safe than this address. We’d have no other way to support a family.”
“When the babes came?” Those words sent a happy thrill through her.
He turned to contemplate the fire again. “I am not such a fool as to imagine they wouldn’t. Lavinia, if you were my wife, the babes would come. And come. And come. I couldn’t keep my hands off you. I pray one is not already on the way.”
I had to quote it. The man was simply insane for her and there were more White hot lines in that scene. Ahemm, excuse me as I fan myself a bit! Anyway, he also talks about his own life to Lavinia, to prove again that he’s not worth her attentions. Lavinia has plans in her mind too, to let this man understand that life is worth more than this. I loved the scene afterwards, when William walks Lavinia to her home. You can’t but love their banters, again, the way Lavinia so totally understands William. It’s so apparent that she, too, adores him.
In the meantime, we get to see a bit of William’s work place. We meet Gareth’s frosty grandfather, the then Marquess and a young Gareth who was Viscount Wyndleton then. It helped me understanding his relationship with his grandfather a lot. Also, it seems like Gareth and William formed a kind of unspoken companionship from that young age. One thing I had troubles with was Gareth’s age, in this novella as well as in Proof by Seduction. If I take in the years and Gareth’s age as it was mentioned in Proof by Seduction, it doesn’t really match. Gareth is supposed to be older than he was mentioned in Proof by Seduction. I don’t know but I have this thing to compare situations when I read a series. Anyway it didn’t matter. I enjoyed reading about these two. Gareth ended up helping William ‘solve’ his financial situation as well as Gareth’s own by hiring him with a great salary. William had other options before Gareth’s help came to him like a life saver but those would’ve made him do stage some deceptions. He was torn apart with the thoughts of what to do; he wants Lavinia and money coming from that help him get her, on the other hand, Lavinia wouldn’t ever condone this so... Oh poor guy! But, in the end, he made the right choice IMO.
The ending was just marvelous, I won’t talk about it though. I’ll only finish by saying that read this novella, it’ll melt your heart. I don’t remember rating a novella 4.5 stars before but This Wicked Gift gets it. My only complain, this should’ve been a full novel. I wouldn’t have minded ‘knowing’ more about Mr. White, if you know what I mean. ;)
Quote I liked from “This Wicked Gift”-
There were many mind you, difficult to pick just one!
“Do not tell me you barred the door just so that you could steal a mere kiss. Really, William. Is that all?”
A slow smile spread across his face. His hands pressed against her waist and then slid lower, the heat of his palms burning into her hips.
“Is that all?” he echoed. “No, damn it.” His hands inched down to her thighs. “There’s more. There’s much more.”
*Update*
Want to have a good laugh? Read Mr. Milan’s review of “This Wicked Gift” here! Had to share it. :p
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 2, 2017
4 stars rating is only for A Handful of Gold by Mary Balogh.
December 29, 2009
A Handful of Gold - 2 stars
Boring, generic story of the jaded rake transformed by the surprisingly virtuous opera dancer. Balogh skimped on characterization and emotion, instead playing tropes and archetypes like playing cards.
The Season for Suitors - 3 stars
Entirely forgettable story, but told well. Sebastian and Clara are adorable with their easy regard for each other - at times engaging in friendly bickering and at others barely keeping their mutual desire hidden. Lovely as the characters were, it didn't make up for the plot. Clara seeks Sebastian out for lessons in avoiding rakes, and everything you think comes next, does.
This Wicked Gift - 4 stars
This prequel of sorts to Milan's debut coming in January was all sorts of nifty. Lavinia and William Q. White are both working class, with no hidden aristocrats or wealthy relatives hidden anywhere. Straight-up, penny pinching, tea-reusing po' folk. I love stories with common people, so this alone merits a high score.
The plot was beyond unique, with twists and turns aplenty. William overhears Lavinia's younger brother telling her how he got swindled and tricked into signing a promissory note for 10 pounds. He then schemes to buy the note and use it to blackmail her into sleeping with him, since he wants her but is too poor to marry her. The ways Milan has her turn the tables on him and has him redeem himself were quite clever.
The characterization was quite insightful as well. Her description of Clara's interactions with her brother were spot on:
"Over fifteen years, Lavinia had become quite fluent in the foreign tongue known as Younger Brother...For instance, the average woman off the street would have thought that James had just offered her burned porridge. Lavinia knew better. What James had actually said was, 'Sorry I stole your money. I made you breakfast by way of apology. Forgive me?'"
Definitely the strongest of the three and fresh enough to make me want to read Proof by Seduction, even though the premise sounds ridiculous.
Boring, generic story of the jaded rake transformed by the surprisingly virtuous opera dancer. Balogh skimped on characterization and emotion, instead playing tropes and archetypes like playing cards.
The Season for Suitors - 3 stars
Entirely forgettable story, but told well. Sebastian and Clara are adorable with their easy regard for each other - at times engaging in friendly bickering and at others barely keeping their mutual desire hidden. Lovely as the characters were, it didn't make up for the plot. Clara seeks Sebastian out for lessons in avoiding rakes, and everything you think comes next, does.
This Wicked Gift - 4 stars
This prequel of sorts to Milan's debut coming in January was all sorts of nifty. Lavinia and William Q. White are both working class, with no hidden aristocrats or wealthy relatives hidden anywhere. Straight-up, penny pinching, tea-reusing po' folk. I love stories with common people, so this alone merits a high score.
The plot was beyond unique, with twists and turns aplenty. William overhears Lavinia's younger brother telling her how he got swindled and tricked into signing a promissory note for 10 pounds. He then schemes to buy the note and use it to blackmail her into sleeping with him, since he wants her but is too poor to marry her. The ways Milan has her turn the tables on him and has him redeem himself were quite clever.
The characterization was quite insightful as well. Her description of Clara's interactions with her brother were spot on:
"Over fifteen years, Lavinia had become quite fluent in the foreign tongue known as Younger Brother...For instance, the average woman off the street would have thought that James had just offered her burned porridge. Lavinia knew better. What James had actually said was, 'Sorry I stole your money. I made you breakfast by way of apology. Forgive me?'"
Definitely the strongest of the three and fresh enough to make me want to read Proof by Seduction, even though the premise sounds ridiculous.
December 6, 2011
3 short stories with Christmas setting, historical romance. 3 sweet stories where love conquers all.
December 20, 2020
hmmmm lol
i feel like all of the stories had some goodpoints, but overall I was just not impressed with any of them. The first two were fun at the beginning, but it really took a turn at the end. And the last one... idk it made me feel weird
i feel like all of the stories had some goodpoints, but overall I was just not impressed with any of them. The first two were fun at the beginning, but it really took a turn at the end. And the last one... idk it made me feel weird
December 26, 2025
The first two stories were cute. I hated the third one. The “hero” was a whiny jerk, and his actions were borderline unforgivable. The heroine needed some self-respect. Their being suddenly in love made no sense. I would have DNFed if it had been a standalone.
Edited to add: Looking over the other reviews, I am shocked that so many people enjoyed the Milan story. No one cares that the so-called hero coerced the heroine into sleeping with him?? It’s supposed to be okay and romantic because, actually, she had a crush on him and secretly wanted to? Yuck.
Edited to add: Looking over the other reviews, I am shocked that so many people enjoyed the Milan story. No one cares that the so-called hero coerced the heroine into sleeping with him?? It’s supposed to be okay and romantic because, actually, she had a crush on him and secretly wanted to? Yuck.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2010
I only read the Mary Balogh story...A HANDFUL OF GOLD. I really enjoyed the story. She accepts an invitation to stay with Lord F (the H) at his friends "hunting box" for Christmas instead of at home with her mother and sister. He pays her money to go with him ....he thinks she is a fallen woman because she is an actress. She is a virgin and she has accepted his offer because she needs money for her very sick sister at home. That's the set up but it is so much better than what the reader thinks. I love the way they get to know one another without sex for most of the story. I just smiled when I read this story and I could picture the scenes of their Christmas and the play time in the snow.
December 17, 2015
The first story was lovely. A sweet story of a girl who becomes an actress to support her family and the man who wants to set her up as his mistress only to fall in love with her.
I didn't really like the second story.
The third again was lovely and I really enjoyed that the hero was not a lord but rather a man of affairs.
I didn't really like the second story.
The third again was lovely and I really enjoyed that the hero was not a lord but rather a man of affairs.
December 7, 2010
I seldom find that I enjoy every storyin a multi-author anthology, so I was happily surprised to find that I enjoyed all three of these short stories :)
January 14, 2022
A Handful of Gold by Mary Balogh.
Oh this was so disappointing. I really love Mary Balogh’s books but this novella was pedestrian and predictable. The opera dancer Blanche (who was actually the virginal and respectable Verity) paid by the bored rake Julian to be his mistress for a week over Christmas. A collection of characters who were one dimensional stereotypes and a plot which stumbled to it’s expected end with all the excitement of a walk in a muddy field. Verity’s running away made no sense and her total reluctance to believe Julian simply irritated me. I was expecting something much more satisfying.
Oh this was so disappointing. I really love Mary Balogh’s books but this novella was pedestrian and predictable. The opera dancer Blanche (who was actually the virginal and respectable Verity) paid by the bored rake Julian to be his mistress for a week over Christmas. A collection of characters who were one dimensional stereotypes and a plot which stumbled to it’s expected end with all the excitement of a walk in a muddy field. Verity’s running away made no sense and her total reluctance to believe Julian simply irritated me. I was expecting something much more satisfying.
December 24, 2018
The power imbalance in the Balogh made me uneasy, but was enjoyable in the end. The Cornick was fine, but not my taste. The Milan kept me up much later than I planned to be awake because I wanted to finish it now.
January 1, 2020
3 short regency romances... they were ok
December 30, 2019
I only read the story by Mary Balogh, A Handful of Gold, which is a re-read for me. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
January 8, 2016
The Heart of Christmas is a collection of three novellas or long stories, all taking place during the Christmas season.
I enjoyed “A Handful of Gold” (Mary Balogh) well enough but it isn’t one of her strongest stories; it’s a little too cliched, and I found it difficult to suspend belief in several spots. Verity Ewing is secretly working as an opera dancer. When Julian Dare, Viscount Folingsby, suggests a week at a friend’s hunting lodge over Christmas, she agrees only because of her sister’s desperate need for expensive medical care. For his part, Julian doesn’t realize Verity is actually a gently-reared young lady. Things take a surprising turn first when he realizes she’s never been a mistress before, and again when a vicar and his family are forced to take shelter with them on Christmas Eve. Balogh handles Julian’s redemption well, but the obliviousness of the vicar and his wife to the irregularity of the situation (in particular the speech and behavior of Julian’s friend’s mistress) really stretches credulity.
Nicola Cornick’s “The Season for Suitors” was stronger; I would have liked to see it developed into a novel, because the characters were quite well-developed for a short story. Clara asks her brother’s friend Sebastian for help in learning to guard against rakes and fortune hunters. But her request and his eventual agreement are complicated by the fact that she was (and remains) in love with him, and he turned her down a year and a half ago. Cornick negotiates the resultant tensions with skill, leaving the reader almost unsure whether the conflict will be resolved in the end.
I’m rather on the fence about “This Wicked Gift” (Courtney Milan.) On the one hand, huzzah for a story that focuses on a hero and heroine who are essentially lower-middle-class — educated, but barely scraping by financially. And huzzah for letting that fact affect both their outlook and their decisions. On the other hand, I was a bit uncomfortable with the hero’s actions in essentially letting the heroine prostitute herself to him. To be fair, in the end, so was he, and she didn’t see it that way herself. (It’s hard to be clear without spoilers, but her decision has more to do with her feelings than any financial obligation.)
Only Balogh’s story really feels like a Christmas romance, though the other two certainly take place around that time. I think it’s because Cornick and Milan’s stories could have taken place anytime, while the Christmas setting of Balogh’s story is important to the plot as well as to the characters’ development.
Bottom line: The Heart of Christmas is fine if you’re looking for a few short historical romances, but look elsewhere for real Christmas spirit — and for examples of Balogh’s best writing.
Review originally published on The Bookwyrm's Hoard.
I enjoyed “A Handful of Gold” (Mary Balogh) well enough but it isn’t one of her strongest stories; it’s a little too cliched, and I found it difficult to suspend belief in several spots. Verity Ewing is secretly working as an opera dancer. When Julian Dare, Viscount Folingsby, suggests a week at a friend’s hunting lodge over Christmas, she agrees only because of her sister’s desperate need for expensive medical care. For his part, Julian doesn’t realize Verity is actually a gently-reared young lady. Things take a surprising turn first when he realizes she’s never been a mistress before, and again when a vicar and his family are forced to take shelter with them on Christmas Eve. Balogh handles Julian’s redemption well, but the obliviousness of the vicar and his wife to the irregularity of the situation (in particular the speech and behavior of Julian’s friend’s mistress) really stretches credulity.
Nicola Cornick’s “The Season for Suitors” was stronger; I would have liked to see it developed into a novel, because the characters were quite well-developed for a short story. Clara asks her brother’s friend Sebastian for help in learning to guard against rakes and fortune hunters. But her request and his eventual agreement are complicated by the fact that she was (and remains) in love with him, and he turned her down a year and a half ago. Cornick negotiates the resultant tensions with skill, leaving the reader almost unsure whether the conflict will be resolved in the end.
I’m rather on the fence about “This Wicked Gift” (Courtney Milan.) On the one hand, huzzah for a story that focuses on a hero and heroine who are essentially lower-middle-class — educated, but barely scraping by financially. And huzzah for letting that fact affect both their outlook and their decisions. On the other hand, I was a bit uncomfortable with the hero’s actions in essentially letting the heroine prostitute herself to him. To be fair, in the end, so was he, and she didn’t see it that way herself. (It’s hard to be clear without spoilers, but her decision has more to do with her feelings than any financial obligation.)
Only Balogh’s story really feels like a Christmas romance, though the other two certainly take place around that time. I think it’s because Cornick and Milan’s stories could have taken place anytime, while the Christmas setting of Balogh’s story is important to the plot as well as to the characters’ development.
Bottom line: The Heart of Christmas is fine if you’re looking for a few short historical romances, but look elsewhere for real Christmas spirit — and for examples of Balogh’s best writing.
Review originally published on The Bookwyrm's Hoard.
August 1, 2014
I recognized 2 of the 3 authors and thought I'd take a peek...
A Handful of Gold, Mary Balogh
Julian Dare invites what he believes to be an opera dancer to spend a sinful week with him over Christmas. Turns out she's not an opera dancer at all!! They fall in love and stuff.
I didn't mind the premise of this, but the execution left something to be desired. There's something extremely off-putting about these mistaken identity stories, because while Julian ultimately does admit that he'll marry her regardless of her understood position in life (the lowborn daughter of a blacksmith), there's still this tone to the narrative that by revealing herself as actually the daughter of a rector, suddenly their love is ~OK instead of ... not OK? I get that class differences of the time were difficult to overcome, especially for members of the nobility, but I would have appreciated some examination of the implications made by that particular setup.
The Season for Suitors, Nicola Cornick
Clara needs to learn how to avoid scoundrels, so she invites her former flame, Sebastian, to teach her the ~ways of the ~rake. He shows up, the UST bludgeons him about the head and shoulders before he ultimately caves to FEELINGS. Love, marriage, etc.
This was one of those novellas that didn't spend enough time developing the relationship, instead relying upon the longtime-friends-with-feelings trope to speed straight through to fireplace mantel handjobs and emotional confessions about Deep Dark Secrets. It's just--you can see the resolution a mile off: Sebastian refuses to acknowledge the possibility of love until he tells Clara everything, her presence / love / face makes him realize that he'll be OK, then comes love, marriage, baby carriages, etc.
This Wicked Gift, Courtney Milan
Lavinia's brother does a Stupid Thing, and William offers to take care of the Stupid Thing for a price...
UGH THIS WAS SO CLOSE TO BEING PRETTY GREAT?? Like, I think the shortness of it kept Milan from adding too many layers to her hero/heroine, and the writing was lovely (as it usually is). The only thing that really kept me from enjoying this was the mangst--William was just too much of an asshole for me to forgive him in so short of a time, and then he keeps almost making really dumb decisions that made me question his intelligence. I liked how the whole "trade me your virginity" thing played out--Lavinia proves that she really did hold all the cards at all times--but the rest of it was so mired in this ... gross man-angst that I finished it wanting Lavinia to gtfo.
A Handful of Gold, Mary Balogh
Julian Dare invites what he believes to be an opera dancer to spend a sinful week with him over Christmas. Turns out she's not an opera dancer at all!! They fall in love and stuff.
I didn't mind the premise of this, but the execution left something to be desired. There's something extremely off-putting about these mistaken identity stories, because while Julian ultimately does admit that he'll marry her regardless of her understood position in life (the lowborn daughter of a blacksmith), there's still this tone to the narrative that by revealing herself as actually the daughter of a rector, suddenly their love is ~OK instead of ... not OK? I get that class differences of the time were difficult to overcome, especially for members of the nobility, but I would have appreciated some examination of the implications made by that particular setup.
The Season for Suitors, Nicola Cornick
Clara needs to learn how to avoid scoundrels, so she invites her former flame, Sebastian, to teach her the ~ways of the ~rake. He shows up, the UST bludgeons him about the head and shoulders before he ultimately caves to FEELINGS. Love, marriage, etc.
This was one of those novellas that didn't spend enough time developing the relationship, instead relying upon the longtime-friends-with-feelings trope to speed straight through to fireplace mantel handjobs and emotional confessions about Deep Dark Secrets. It's just--you can see the resolution a mile off: Sebastian refuses to acknowledge the possibility of love until he tells Clara everything, her presence / love / face makes him realize that he'll be OK, then comes love, marriage, baby carriages, etc.
This Wicked Gift, Courtney Milan
Lavinia's brother does a Stupid Thing, and William offers to take care of the Stupid Thing for a price...
UGH THIS WAS SO CLOSE TO BEING PRETTY GREAT?? Like, I think the shortness of it kept Milan from adding too many layers to her hero/heroine, and the writing was lovely (as it usually is). The only thing that really kept me from enjoying this was the mangst--William was just too much of an asshole for me to forgive him in so short of a time, and then he keeps almost making really dumb decisions that made me question his intelligence. I liked how the whole "trade me your virginity" thing played out--Lavinia proves that she really did hold all the cards at all times--but the rest of it was so mired in this ... gross man-angst that I finished it wanting Lavinia to gtfo.
December 20, 2012
This book is three Christmas novellas by three different authors, so I'll review them separately.
A Handful of Gold by Mary Balogh
Eh. Not awful, but nothing memorable either. I did find the part with the vicar and his family showing up rather amusing, but nothing about the plot or characters was really all that engaging or believable. I'm all for corny, sappy Christmas stories, but this one just didn't work for me. It didn't seem plausible that the hero and heroine would fall in love so quickly or in those circumstances.
The Season for Suitors by Nicola Cornick
Again...eh. The first story is a "reformed rake" story and this one is too. The story was way too short for the kind of character development that would make me believe that kind of story, and there was just far too much "I'm so attracted to you I can't control myself" in this. I have no idea why they were supposedly in love with each other. Maybe I'm just expecting too much of these stories. Also maybe I'm prejudiced against "reformed rake" stories because I don't generally like that sort of hero.
This Wicked Gift by Courtney Milan
I was really expecting to like this one because I've really enjoyed everything else by Milan that I've read, but I think I may have liked this one least of all. It started out well - I liked that it was about two regular people with actual jobs, not something I've read much of in historical romance, and I liked that the heroine started out with a big fat crush on the hero. So cute. And then it went downhill from there. The hero and heroine basically don't know each other at all - they know each other's names and he frequents the lending library she works at. A short greeting whenever he'd come in to the library is the sum total of their interactions up until they point when he basically tries to bribe her into sleeping with him. I'm supposed to believe that somehow from that they fall in love? And the fact that he thinks he is coercing her into sleeping with him (even though she is in fact quite willing) and he does it anyway makes me really not like him at all. Basically, I just didn't understand the appeal of the characters or the story line and that makes me sad.
A Handful of Gold by Mary Balogh
Eh. Not awful, but nothing memorable either. I did find the part with the vicar and his family showing up rather amusing, but nothing about the plot or characters was really all that engaging or believable. I'm all for corny, sappy Christmas stories, but this one just didn't work for me. It didn't seem plausible that the hero and heroine would fall in love so quickly or in those circumstances.
The Season for Suitors by Nicola Cornick
Again...eh. The first story is a "reformed rake" story and this one is too. The story was way too short for the kind of character development that would make me believe that kind of story, and there was just far too much "I'm so attracted to you I can't control myself" in this. I have no idea why they were supposedly in love with each other. Maybe I'm just expecting too much of these stories. Also maybe I'm prejudiced against "reformed rake" stories because I don't generally like that sort of hero.
This Wicked Gift by Courtney Milan
I was really expecting to like this one because I've really enjoyed everything else by Milan that I've read, but I think I may have liked this one least of all. It started out well - I liked that it was about two regular people with actual jobs, not something I've read much of in historical romance, and I liked that the heroine started out with a big fat crush on the hero. So cute. And then it went downhill from there. The hero and heroine basically don't know each other at all - they know each other's names and he frequents the lending library she works at. A short greeting whenever he'd come in to the library is the sum total of their interactions up until they point when he basically tries to bribe her into sleeping with him. I'm supposed to believe that somehow from that they fall in love? And the fact that he thinks he is coercing her into sleeping with him (even though she is in fact quite willing) and he does it anyway makes me really not like him at all. Basically, I just didn't understand the appeal of the characters or the story line and that makes me sad.
December 28, 2022
3 Regency Christmas stories. One of my favorite books!
Mary Balogh - 4 stars. Mary Balough always seems to be able to tell a great story. The heir to an Earldom, Julian is part of a happy, affectionate family. He's also the only boy in a crowd of sisters, so his father wants him to settle down, marry, & get some buns (male ones) in the oven. He's already got a steady (boring), rich girl picked out for him. Julian decides instead to go with his friend to a remote manor his friend owns to spend Christmas with a mistress. He has a new one all picked out in Blanche - an opera dancer. Blanche is really named Verity. She's been forced into opera dancing by the fact her Vicar father died, leaving her mother & sister (who is ill) pretty much impoverished. Now, her sick sister needs more medicine, doctor visits, ect. & Verity needs more money. She decides to take the leap & accept Julien's invitation. I really liked this story. Julian comes off as a bored, selfish rake, but he's actually a nice guy. Verity is wise & a nice person too, & Julian discovers she's not the whore he thought she was.
Nicola Cornick - 3 stars. I was really enjoying this story. The last 2 chapters, however, it declines into "been there, read that a couple dozen times". By the end it was just - whatever.
Courtney Milan - 5 stars. What a wonderful story! There is no hero who's Lord whoever. The heroine isn't a Lady. These are 2 people who are just trying to get by. They're described as "the deserving poor". They were middle class, now just barely keeping their heads out of the gutter. William does something to Lavinia that he can't forgive himself for, even though she tries to tell him that it was something she wanted to give. He is then, given an opportunity to get back some of the money that was wrongly taken away from him many years ago. To do so, he'll have to lie & basically treat someone else the same way he was treated. Does he take the high road & face life as an honest (but poor) man, or does he lie so he can marry Lavinia? One of the best romance short stories I've EVER read!!
Mary Balogh - 4 stars. Mary Balough always seems to be able to tell a great story. The heir to an Earldom, Julian is part of a happy, affectionate family. He's also the only boy in a crowd of sisters, so his father wants him to settle down, marry, & get some buns (male ones) in the oven. He's already got a steady (boring), rich girl picked out for him. Julian decides instead to go with his friend to a remote manor his friend owns to spend Christmas with a mistress. He has a new one all picked out in Blanche - an opera dancer. Blanche is really named Verity. She's been forced into opera dancing by the fact her Vicar father died, leaving her mother & sister (who is ill) pretty much impoverished. Now, her sick sister needs more medicine, doctor visits, ect. & Verity needs more money. She decides to take the leap & accept Julien's invitation. I really liked this story. Julian comes off as a bored, selfish rake, but he's actually a nice guy. Verity is wise & a nice person too, & Julian discovers she's not the whore he thought she was.
Nicola Cornick - 3 stars. I was really enjoying this story. The last 2 chapters, however, it declines into "been there, read that a couple dozen times". By the end it was just - whatever.
Courtney Milan - 5 stars. What a wonderful story! There is no hero who's Lord whoever. The heroine isn't a Lady. These are 2 people who are just trying to get by. They're described as "the deserving poor". They were middle class, now just barely keeping their heads out of the gutter. William does something to Lavinia that he can't forgive himself for, even though she tries to tell him that it was something she wanted to give. He is then, given an opportunity to get back some of the money that was wrongly taken away from him many years ago. To do so, he'll have to lie & basically treat someone else the same way he was treated. Does he take the high road & face life as an honest (but poor) man, or does he lie so he can marry Lavinia? One of the best romance short stories I've EVER read!!
September 21, 2018
A Handful of Gold: 3
This was a good all-rounder of a story, but perhaps a little bit too steeped in sentimentality, if such a thing were possible? I did like the depiction of Verity and Julian's manner of falling in love with one another, and found Julian's depiction perfect (he was so dissolute and his rakish behaviour was shown to the reader, rather than just mentioned as an afterthought. .
The Season for Suitors: 5
Oh, that was utterly delicious! The tension was palpable, the attraction was wonderful, and perhaps a half star removed for two reasons: the first was the Seb's negative motivation (he can't and won't fall in love because of past trauma - that was slightly incomprehensible), and the second was how Clara "encouraged" him to profess his love for her. Besides that, it was incredibly well written.
The Wicked Gift: 5
I have rather conflicting feelings on this one. The story was complex, and dealt with the emotions of two very different people. Lavinia is very clever, self-sacrificing, and utterly poor. William was hard-working, utterly ashamed, and incredibly poor. I was sad that the culmination of their relationship was a result of coercion (which was the only mar on an otherwise solid story), and I felt a different form of sad for William that he bore so much guilt and felt that he was so undeserving of happiness, let along forgiveness. They got their much deserved happiness by the end, and I liked the little touch of humour referring to James's ability to burn nearly anything he put his hand to.
This was a good all-rounder of a story, but perhaps a little bit too steeped in sentimentality, if such a thing were possible? I did like the depiction of Verity and Julian's manner of falling in love with one another, and found Julian's depiction perfect (he was so dissolute and his rakish behaviour was shown to the reader, rather than just mentioned as an afterthought. .
The Season for Suitors: 5
Oh, that was utterly delicious! The tension was palpable, the attraction was wonderful, and perhaps a half star removed for two reasons: the first was the Seb's negative motivation (he can't and won't fall in love because of past trauma - that was slightly incomprehensible), and the second was how Clara "encouraged" him to profess his love for her. Besides that, it was incredibly well written.
The Wicked Gift: 5
I have rather conflicting feelings on this one. The story was complex, and dealt with the emotions of two very different people. Lavinia is very clever, self-sacrificing, and utterly poor. William was hard-working, utterly ashamed, and incredibly poor. I was sad that the culmination of their relationship was a result of coercion (which was the only mar on an otherwise solid story), and I felt a different form of sad for William that he bore so much guilt and felt that he was so undeserving of happiness, let along forgiveness. They got their much deserved happiness by the end, and I liked the little touch of humour referring to James's ability to burn nearly anything he put his hand to.
November 4, 2009
This book has three stories in it. The first one is "A Handful Of Gold" by Mary Balogh. I found this story the least enjoyable of the stories. It seemed to take forever for the story to draw me in, and I just found I did not connect with the characters. This story would have rated 3 stars at best for me. The second story is " The Season For Suitors" by Nicola Cornick. I found this to be my favorite hands down. I really enjoyed this story and would have given it a five star rating had it been a stand alone. The last story was "This Wicked Gift" by Courtney Milan. It is not often that you find a historical romance story that deals with the love of common folk during that time. There were no Duke's, Earl's, or Duchess's as I am used to reading about. At first I had serious doubts based on that knowledge of whether I would enjoy it. I was pleasantly surprised by this story and would give it four stars if it was a stand alone. This was my first time reading anything by Mrs. Cornick and Mrs. Milan but I will look for their books from now on.
May 21, 2010
I won this book from a giveaway from Courtney Milan (one of the authors of the collection). I must say that it was a treat! I hadn't had the pleasure of reading any of the authors before, and thoroughly enjoyed all three.
I loved the visuals Mary Balogh painted in "A Handful of Gold." I could almost see the snowflakes clinging to me, smell the christmas dinner, and feel the warmth that new love can give. Nicola Cornick's characters in "The Season for Suitors" are addictive. I couldn't wait to find out how the story finished.
I loved that Courtney Milan's story was of the working class. So many historical romances are about the aristocracy, sometimes I wonder....with so many nobles running around, who was left to work for a living? I like the texture that being slightly removed from the Ton added. I am officially a Milan Fan!
All in all a fun read, I couldn't put the book down. It also gave the added bonus of putting me in the Christmas spirit, and tucking away the hope a christmas sweetheart in my pocket to keep warm! I do love a good romance.
I loved the visuals Mary Balogh painted in "A Handful of Gold." I could almost see the snowflakes clinging to me, smell the christmas dinner, and feel the warmth that new love can give. Nicola Cornick's characters in "The Season for Suitors" are addictive. I couldn't wait to find out how the story finished.
I loved that Courtney Milan's story was of the working class. So many historical romances are about the aristocracy, sometimes I wonder....with so many nobles running around, who was left to work for a living? I like the texture that being slightly removed from the Ton added. I am officially a Milan Fan!
All in all a fun read, I couldn't put the book down. It also gave the added bonus of putting me in the Christmas spirit, and tucking away the hope a christmas sweetheart in my pocket to keep warm! I do love a good romance.
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