Three Christmas stories by three different authors
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Map of a Ladys Heart  -  Caroline Linden

Kingstag Castle  -  December 1816

Viola Cavendish can tell that a storm is coming, however, her employers, the Duke and Duchess of Wessex, don't appear too concerned.  Viola is the Duchesss personal secretary.  The couple is off to be with the Duchesss sister as she awaits her babys birth.  The family is quite excited about the event which was not expected until after Christmas.

With the Duke and Duchess away and house guests expected, they need a hostess, but who?  The dowager duchess is ill.  Ladies Bridget, Serena and great-aunt Sophronia are young or a bit irresponsible.  It appears that the responsibility will fall on Violas shoulders.

Wesley, the Earl of Winterton, is traveling with his 20-year-old nephew, Justin, Viscount Newton. Since Justins father passed away, he has had to shoulder caring for his mother and younger sister instead of being able to take a Grand Tour.  Having grow restless, Wesley has agreed to take Justin to visit Kingston Castle where Wesley hopes to buy an atlas from the Duke.

Viola welcomes them and explains that the Duke and Duchess were called away, but that the gentlemen are welcome, especially since it has started snowing.  Along with the young daughters of the Duke and Duchess and their friends, Viola sees to it that they are comfortable.

The daughters put together a play and Justin enjoys participating.  Wesley and Violas chats spark an attraction.  Could there possibly be a future for them?

This story started off with great promise but quickly became boring as it focused too much on that silly play.  Even though I finished reading it, I lost interest.  Not my favorite by this terrific author.

Hot Rogue on a Cold Night  -  Maya Rodale

Lady Serena Cavendish has been jilted by the Duke of Frye.  They were betrothed most of their lives.  Hoping to cheer Serena up, her mother decides to have a Christmas house party.

Serena is incensed to find her mother has invited her ex-fiance hoping to reignite their relationship and she also invited his friend, Greyson Jones, who had said that Frye dodged a bullet by not marrying Serena.  How insulting!  Secretly, Greyson has been in love with Serena for years and now he wonders if there is any hope for them to be a couple.

Serenas sister, Bridget, has decided to put on a play and soon Greyson gets caught up in it as a pirate.  As he and Serena act out their parts, they become enamored of one another.  Could they be a match?

This story read a bit better but the overwhelming theme of the play is simply too juvenile.

Snowy Night With a Duke  -  Katharine Ashe

Lady Charlotte Ascot, the daughter of the Earl of Ware, is headed to Kingstag Castle for a holiday party.  Her friend, Serena, has been jilted by the Duke of Frye, whom Charlotte has known since she was quite young.

Enroute to the party, Charlotte encounters heavy snow necessitating that she shelter at an Inn.  Before long, the Duke of Frye and his friend, Monsieur Fortier, arrive at the Inn as well.  The Duke is not wanting anyone to know who he really is.

The unrelenting snow keeps them at the Inn and they try to make the best of it which means that the Duke and Charlotte become enamored of one another.  But danger lurks and they must fight it.

This was yet another convoluted story that was hard to follow.

These three authors are very talented and I have enjoyed their books.  However, I am quite disappointed in this grouping of stories.  I think individual books by them would certainly be preferable.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
1056138
I love anthologies because you can read more stories in a shorter amount of time, and I love Christmas stories so I was excited to read and review this anthology. Especially because these novellas were written by some of my favorite authors. But I found this anthology to be slower than most and some of the stories were almost too slow for me. All were well-written so I'm sure that was just a personal preference...

Fairy Christmas by Lucinda Brant - 3.5 stars; 1767 England
Miss Katherine Aldershot, aka Kitty, is all alone in the world, but is fortunate to have been taken in by the wealthy and powerful Earl of Salt Hendon and his wife. She has had her eye on Mr. Tom Allenby, the brother of the Earl's wife, and thinks he is interested in her but he is a successful businessman and she is pretty sure that he might be too good for her. Her new assignment is to entertain the Russian noble who has come to visit the Earl, Prince Timur-Alexei Nikolai Mordvinov, who is old enough to be her grandfather. The Prince helps Kitty see that there is a lot she isn't seeing.

A Christmas Promise by Sarah Eden - 3 stars; Late 1820's
Sean Kirkpatrick is handsome, quick-witted, and not easily offended. He is also lost on his way to Kilkenny. Maeve Butler is lovely, quick-witted, and clever. And she happens to know the way to Kilkenny. Getting lost helped Sean find the greatest treasure.

Twelve Months by Heather Moore - 4 stars; 1907 England
Lucien Baxter has a law practice in London, but when his best friend Will Griffiths summons him to his deathbed, he goes. His best friend also has a last request: that Lucien marry his lovely widow. Cora is beautiful, intelligent, and devoted - and unlucky in love. Her first fiance was killed in battle and her husband is now dying when they have been married for less than a year. Can she open her heart again to the faithful and loyal Lucien?

A Fezziwig Christmas by LuAnn Brobst Staheli - 3.5 stars; 1790 London
Dick Wilkins is the best friend and co-worker of Ebenezer Scrooge (when he is young and before he is so Scrooge-y), and they both work for Mr. Fezziwig who has some beautiful daughters. Ebenezer is almost engaged to the oldest daughter and Dick is hoping for some Christmas magic to help him win the heart of the second daughter, Pricilla.

A Taste of Home by Annette Lyon - 4.5 stars; 1913 Utah
Claire Jennings has been working in San Francisco, and can hardly wait to get home to her family in Utah for Christmas. Her excitement is the only thing making the travel with Will Rhodes tolerable. Will has been her tormenter since she was a young girl. But when they get to Utah she finds out that her family is quarantined and she won't be able to see them after all. The only reason Will came home for Christmas was for the opportunity to be with Claire. So he stays in town with her for Christmas and works hard to show her that he is no longer that young boy who teased her, and that he is capable of making her very happy!

My Modern Girl by Becca Wilhite - 4.5 stars; 1924 New York
Margie is a modern girl on her way to New York. She has a job on the sales floor of Macy's and can hardly wait to get there! Modern girls don't go weak-kneed when kissing boys they've known their whole lives. Especially when that boy is a coal worker. And so she begs Henry not to proclaim his undying love, and tells him he can write. His parting words to her are "I'll make you proud." In New York Margie learns a lot about herself and others. I loved Henry! I loved how he never tried to change Margie and embraced every part of her - even the "modern girl" part of her! Instead of trying to change her, he worked to change things about himself.

Content: Very clean, no swearing
Source: Review Copy (opinions are 100% my own)
828637
I really enjoyed the new take to all of these Christmas themed stories. It is definitely worth a read! Each of the stories has a unique humor that will captivate you.
3999941
Out of the 7 authors listed, I was already reading R.E. Butler, but now I have 4 more authors to check out.  Only 2 stories were not my cup of tea, where I found myself fast forwarding. The other were action packed and or heart warming a.d just right for Christmas short stories.
1214538
This is a collection of four delightful stories that will get you into the Christmas spirit. All four stories are short but sweet and the final story, Home for Christmas by Alicia Rasley, was particularly good. It is about a man and woman, Verity and Justin, who have just met and pretend that they are married to save her reputation and protect her daughter. The scenes with Justin and Verity's daughter are really wonderful and I really enjoyed this story a lot.

The only thing that bothered me about all of the stories was how the men realised they were in love after only a day or two. I found this highly unlikely but I still found myself enjoying all of the stories just the same.

If you are looking for some light, fun romance stories to read during this Christmas season I would recommend A Regency Holiday. All four stories are a wonderful treat!
2664362
If you love Amish fiction then The Amish Christmas Kitchen is for you. A collection of three novellas written by three of todays top Amish writers and each story includes a recipe from that Author.

Baking Love on Ice Mountain by Kelly Long is about newlyweds Clara mast and Daniel Kauffman who have little to give this Christmas season but love. This story is inspired by the Gift of the Magi and one that I felt was very heartwarming and filled with love.

The Christmas Bakery on Huckleberry Hill by Jennifer Beckstrand. Katie Rose Gingerich is a shy, her dat sends her to Huckleberry Hill to secure a marriage proposal, she never expects to fall for the carefree Titus Helmuth. Will Titus feel the same way about Katie? Will he want to spend every Christmas with her?

The Special Christmas Cookie by Lisa Jones Baker the story about overcoming obstacles and more lessons to be learned for Emma and Jonathan.

These three novellas are just what you need to get yourself more into the Christmas spirit. Each is filled with love, lessons, family and Christmas joy.

I received this book for free. A favorable review was not required.
3343566
our family recently discovered the Carolyn Haywood books at our local library and love them.
I bought this for a Christmas gift but didn't give it, as when I was wrapping gifts I browsed through the book and one story has Eddie discovering that his Dad is really Santa Claus, I didn't want to give up the Santa Secret this year so i kept it for another time.
I gave 4 stars because there is no discription of the individual stories. If you own other books in the Eddie series you may already have these stories in the different books. This is simply a compilation of all the Christmas ones from many books published together.
3647650
I am not a big fan of short story collections, I have read quite a few in the past and have never been too impressed with any of them but for some reason I still feel compelled to purchase them in hope that "this one will be different".  Well `THIS CHRISTMAS' was definitely different!  This is the best short story collection that I have ever read hands down.  Each story put a smile on my face and kept me totally enthralled.  I like that there were only three stories to this collection so I was able to actually care about these characters and what happened to them.  My favorite story was `MISTLETOE AND HOLLY' by Liz Ireland, this story which was the longest of the three was smart, funny and heartwarming.  `THIS CHRISTMAS' is a definite must read to get you going for the holiday season!
4125732
Five Regency Christmas stories, one original and four previously published, are contained in this collection by Mary Balogh. I consider Mary one of the best writers in her genre. Her stories are character driven rather than plot driven. I alternated read one of the Christmas stories with other books so I would no be overwhelmed with all the Christmas good cheer. I worked out nicely. All the stories are good, but the first and only original story in the book is the best one. Fans of Mary Balogh won't be disappointed and new fans will be in for a treat.
841417
Three books in one and if you count the Christmas recipes, then four. I found these three murder mystery tales to be quite engaging. They were a light easy read and a perfect book to settle into, with a nice pot of tea, if one enjoys murder mysteries even during the Yuletide season. I must confess, as one who also enjoys cooking, that I think that I'll also be trying my hand at some of these festive holiday baking treats.
2816753
I found this anthology through the Kindleboards threads and enjoyed the variety of holiday tales. The first two stories use bad weather to throw the H & H together, one in an airport ("Once Upon a Flight Delay") and one in Boston ("Snowbound").  The couples in both stories are engaging as they discover each other. "Bringer of Gifts" is a wry tale of modern a Kris Kringle that made me smile. "Where We Love" follows one couple's year of holidays to illustrate the passages of life.  Finally, the novella "In Hiding" is a solid piece of romantic suspense.  Beautiful girl in danger; handsome, protective law man. Yeah, we love those.  "Flurries" is a good escape from the holiday hustle.  Enjoy.

Dana Taylor
Latest release: Shiny Green Shoes
3507982
First and foremost, I love ALL of these authors. When I got the opportunity to read a book that included a story from each of them I was thrilled. They are some of the most popular Amish Fiction writers out there. All three stories are light hearted - sweet stories. I enjoyed reading them. The characters are well written. I love that some of the characters from previous books reappeared in Jennifer's story. I love those match making grandparents :) All three of these stories made me laugh and smile. If you love Amish Fiction, this is the book for you

I received a copy of the book through Celebrate Lit, all opinions are my own.
3233807
If you're the kind of reader who unpacks her Christmas decorations the day after Thanksgiving, OUR FIRST CHRISTMAS is your kind of book. It will put you in the holiday spirit so fast youll be more than happy to forego Black Friday for a well-stoked fire, a glass of red wine and this collection of four short novellas. (Each story is about 100 pages long.)

Beyond Noel, romance is the link between these stories by four seasoned authors:Lisa Jackson, Mary Burton, Mary Carter and Cathy Lamb. Jacksons Under the Mistletoe explores a a failing marriage and if this season doesnt make you weepy, this story will. Cathy Lambs submission takes us west in Christmas in Montana, telling the story of a country girl who's been working in LA with hard-core musicians and offers a different perspective than A Southern Christmas by Mary Carter. Mary Burton's A Ranger For Christmas rounds out the mix with a bit of suspense.

This would make a lovely gift for the romance readers on your Christmas list. This collection is a wonderful way to taste the work of authors you may not know yet, but surely will want to read more of after this sampling.
1175419
All three of these stories were really great stories. But the best part was that they were all connected. Each one being a continuation of the one before it. I love stories of the AmIsh and of Christmas. These were great of the AmIsh and of Christmas.
1028662
I enjoy all of theses authors, so I want surprised when this anthology was wonderful. It was so fun to see the characters weave into the other's stories, and even see characters from some of the authors other books! I loved this - I'm so glad I didn't wait for Christmas to read it!
4595467
Silver Bells is a Christmas themed book, with four novellas included, all released in 2008.  They are a fine read. Silver Bells is written by Fern Michaels is the tale of Amy and Hank who both go home for Christmas in Pennsylvania. Dear Santa by Joann Ross tells a story of Holly and Gabriel who share Christmas in Washington state. Christmas Past by Mary Burton tells how Nicole and David learn to look to their future together in Virginia. A suspenseful tale well written. A Mullberry Park Christmas by Judy Duarte tells how Alyssa and Mac reconnect after years apart, each with baggage. Very emotional at times, and I loved it. People caring about people , and new families coming together. A truly interesting story and author. I will look forward to more of Judy Duarte's novels !
1662908
I was excited to read Where Treetops Glisten as I am a huge fan of author Sarah Sundin. Where Treetops Glisten is a book containing three short novels that take place during World War II at Christmastime. I love reading Christmas books to get me in the mood for Christmas and I am sure that you probably do too! And if you haven't been reading Christmas themed books to get you in the mood for Christmas, it is time to start now.

What is particularly enjoyable about Where Treetops Glisten is that the three short novels are all linked to one another. The three short novels included revolve around the Turner family. There is a bit of something for everyone in these short novels. These books are written by Christian authors therefore you know the stories are going to have a message. As the setting is during World War II, these short novels are great for people who like historical novels. They are great for people who like romances as well as people who like chick lit. There is something for everyone!

So relax and let Where Treetops Glisten let your mind wander back to World War II at Christmastime. I highly recommend this collection of WWII Christmas stories.