02 Regency Christmas [Paperback]

A Regency Christmas II is an anthology first released in November 1990. Seasonal stories written by some highly acclaimed authors . . .

Mary Jo Putney: "Sunshine For Christmas." -- Rating: B
A pleasant read. Impulsively, Lord Randolph Lennox decides to flee England to escape his painful memories. His whimsical plans include Italy and he finds himself in Naples at Christmas. Over a misunderstanding, Miss Elizabeth Walker gladly offers support to a bewildered Lord Lennox. Soon they are fast friends. Friends who discover they can escape life's loneliness together. Mary Jo Putney's SUNSHINE FOR CHRISTMAS is good, but it is the moments of painful tenderness that truly save the story.

Anita Mills: "The Last Wish." -- Rating: B
Repeatedly I am amazed at Anita Mills' talent to insert her reader into her story's setting and in THE LAST WISH this adept author once again capitalizes on her extraordinary skill. Sir John Grey is dying; he waits for death while he reflects on his life. His money-grubbing heirs gather for his death; all, but one, are ready to pick over the remains of Sir Grey's prosperous life. What they don't foresee is the arrival of a gentle woman and a small child. An unlikely pair who will forever change their lives. A well-written story, even though some of the slang was a struggle.

Mary Balogh: "Playing House." -- Rating: A+
PLAYING HOUSE is simply a wonderful story. There is not a drop of sexual activity found among these Balogh's words, but with this author's skill who needs it? Stephen, The Marquess of Bedford returns to his childhood home, the estate of Bedford Hall. He returns, with his small daughter, to relive the happy memories of carefree youth. He will give his child her own joyous memories. Instead he finds his first love, Lilias Angove. How dare poverty-stricken Lilias interfere in his renewal of happiness? Balogh pulls at her reader's heart with this touching and beautifully written story. Well done!

Clara Kelly: "The Three Kings." -- Rating: C
Too somber! Carla Kelly's THE THREE KINGS is just too gloomy for a Christmas anthology. Together, in the dead of winter, Lady Sarah Comstock and Colonel Luis Sotomayor travel through war-torn Spain. Unfortunately, they are only one step ahead of Napoleon's French troops -- French troops intent on slaughter. Kelly's words may be true, war is hell, but this is too depressing.

Sheila Walsh: "The Christmas Star."- Rating: C.
A CHRISTMAS STAR is definitely a story with a highly improbable plot. Russian Prince Andrei Zarcov beseeches Louise Beresford, a poor country girl, to befriend his childhood love. A lonely young woman who has just given birth to a child. Louise agrees, for Louise is bewitched by Prince Zarcov's fairytale good looks and smooth manners. Simply put -- too exaggerated!

Grace Atkinson, Ontario - Canada.

A Regency Christmas II is a collection of short stories. I think it is probably very difficult to make these short stories very satisfying and believable because of their length. So usually these collections are a mixed bag of good and bad stories. This book includes:

Sunshine for Christmas by Mary Jo Putney - This was a nice story about an "on-the-shelf" woman and a kind gentleman. It was a gentle, sweet story set in Naples. I enjoyed it very much.

The Last Wish by Anita Mills - This is a story of relatives spending time with a dying uncle in the hopes that he will leave his fortune to them (well, at least the ones who are in debt are hoping this). The uncle's estranged granddaughter and her aunt show up unannounced looking for a home for the granddaughter. The aunt cannot support her anymore, and needs to find her a new home. The time that the aunt, granddaughter, three grown male cousins, and the dying uncle spend together that Christmas changes all their lives forever in wonderful ways. It's a time of renewal of relationships and building of new ones. Mills gets around the "love at first sight" device often used out of necessity in these stories by having the couple begin their relationship at the end of the novella - they marry after a year of waiting. It's a beautiful story and I think it's my favorite in the collection.

Playing House by Mary Balogh is the story of two people who were in love as young people meeting when they are in their late twenties. The hero is disillusioned and the heroine is poverty-stricken, but they both find the love they left behind again. It is a nice story in Balogh's wonderful style.

The Three Kings by Carla Kelly - As always, Carla Kelly gives us an honest, gritty story that depicts men and women overcoming huge obstacles. The hero and heroine spend a terrible journey together during the war and strangely don't wind up together at the end. I mean, they do, but she isn't physically with him - she still has to travel back to him through dangerous territory, and this is a bit unsettling, especially when you have read of their previous journey. I think Kelly's honesty makes her stories very heart-wrenching, but I wish she would have had the hero and heroine in safe territory before ending the story.

The Christmas Star by Sheila Walsh is the stupidest story in the collection by far. It never should have been included. It is a ridiculous story of far-fetched intrigue and boring adventure. The characters are dull and not well-developed, the storyline is bizarre, and I was surprised when the hero confessed his love. Huh?

The book is worth reading for the 2nd and 3rd stories, and to a lesser degree, the first and fourth stories. Don't bother with the last story.

› Go to Amazon U.S. to see both reviews  3.0 out of 5 stars