4 stars I received a copy of this collection because I’m a member of Tracy Sumner’s ARC team. Of course, I ready her story first. I loved it. I then proceeded to read the rest of the stories and they were okay, until I got to A Lass for Christmas from Jane Charles. I loved this one too. So basically, two out of eight stories earned 5 stars. That means just 25% of the stories were truly worth reading. TL;DR: Skip ahead to A Lass for Christmas and The Ice Duchess. Anyway, I wrote a little bit about each story— random thoughts about the so-so ones and longer reviews on the good ones. Read on if you’re interested. 10-18-2020 One Wicked Christmas - Amanda Mariel 2 stars Mediocre One of my pet peeves is when authors use trite phrases rather than crafting new ways of saying things. One that especially bothers me is the variations on “I wouldn’t want it any other way.” This author used the phrase “I’d not wish to have it any other way,” and I lost interest in writing a review. If a writer can’t be bothered to take the time to state something in a new way, I don’t want to take the time to write about it. In no particular order, here are my complaints. Unimaginative - Words used to describe character reactions were unoriginal - sparkling eyes Caricatures - Cristiana didn’t want Adam to know about Emily. Then he convinced her to give him a chance to prove himself. She decided to pretend to give him a chance, but then thought about it more (with no input from him re behavior) and decided to be receptive to him because maybe he had changed. Inconsistent - Cristiana put Emily down for a nap. Moments later, Adam arrived and she was sitting on the floor of the nursery playing. Child was just over a year old but was already walking (which is not impossible, but is unusual). Repetitive use of words - Adam’s breath caught when his gaze landed on Cristiana...When she met his gaze, she smiled brightly...He followed her gaze across the room Too much telling, not enough showing. Adverbs used rather than actions verbs (bright smile, playful glance, flirtatious glance, roguish grin). The relationship between Danby and Adam is unclear. Why is Adam bound to obey his uncle’s order to court someone else? 10-19-2020 Lady Elsa's Souvenir - Rebecca Lovell 2 stars Annoying attempt to obfuscate parentage of Sophie from the beginning Characters of Elsa and Bryce were very childlike As a result, writing seemed childlike Interesting concept, but explanation seemed incomplete, possibly unbelievable 10-19-2020 Smitten with My Christmas Minx - Dawn Brower 3 stars Too brief Insta-love Intriguing plot with interesting characters Likeable main characters, Devon and Addie Mistaken identity lasted a bit longer than realistic but it was explained adequately Contrived conflict - leaving only to realize his mistake and walk back in a snowstorm 10-20-2020 Bedded under the Christmastide Moon - Christina McKnight 3 stars I liked the writing style but the characters became annoying after a while. The constant second-guessing and hurt feelings due to lack of communication drove me crazy. Both characters seemed cowardly, but Brigham more so than Mellie. I had difficulty imagining him as at all attractive due to his personality. Making love on Christmas Eve, outdoors, in England was far-fetched and ridiculous. For two people who had managed to tamp down on their desire for one another for over five years, it was silly to think they couldn’t wait a little bit longer to get into the warm house. 10-21-2020 Prince of Frost - Angelique Armae 4 stars Love the sense of humor of the narrator and Leopold's relationship with his valet Phipps. Juliana was an interesting character and I liked her internal sarcasm, esp in regard to Mother Superior. Very awkward sex, took a 5 star story to 4. Fairytale quality with anticlimactic ending It was implied Mother Superior had an ulterior motive when sending Juliana to the event instead of attending herself, but it was never confirmed and that was disappointing. As a result, she was a very two-dimensional character. 10-22-2020 Beguiled on a Christmas Morning - Sandra Sookoo 3 stars Probably better for those who have met these characters before A lot of time spent giving background on how they met etc Boring at first because of how much background was needed Quirky characters were likable and fun Once the conflict of the story arose, it was exciting, but it took too long to get there New character of governess was too much of a mystery - blatant attempt to pique interest for future story 10-23-2020 A Lass for Christmas - Jane Charles 5 stars This was an unusual story from an author new to me. I really enjoyed the writing style and the characters. They were multi-dimensional, likable, and memorable. I’d be interested to read more from this author. For me, one of the highlights of this story was the relationships between the characters. This is probably why I feel I’d be interested in reading more. I’m curious about Madeline’s extended family and their relationships. I found it wonderful that Lachlan was already friends with Madeline’s older brother, Jordan, and that they had a “history.” It added an unexpected “complication” to his initial interactions with Madeline. The general idea is that Madeline hears some disturbing secret information and decides to take a walk because she is upset. She is distracted and loses her way and realizes it is getting dark so she heads for some lights. It so happens those lights belong to Lachlan’s manor, and it happens he is looking out the window as she walks across the snow-covered field. I don’t know how far away the pond in his backyard is located, but somehow he sees her fall through the ice and manages to run through deep snowfall to get there and drag her out. This was unbelievable, but I was willing to overlook that because I enjoyed the story so much. What ensues is a series of events that are bound to lead to a forced marriage between Lachlan and Madeline, simply because he was trying to save her life. But she knows he wants a Scottish wife so she refuses to marry him. I loved that Madeline was not only strong enough to turn him down despite her personal feelings toward him, but also that, despite being heartbroken, she manages to focus on the positive and consider how much better her life is than so many others’ and how much she has to look forward to in the future. This was a fun story with a happy ending, and I appreciate that the author didn’t feel the need to add an epilogue. Personally, I’m happy to imagine their future, and I don’t need to read about some future date in which they fondly look upon their children and act thankful they found one another. They lived happily ever after. The end. 10-17-2020 The Ice Duchess - Tracy Sumner 5 stars This isn't a very long story, but as with every story from Tracy Sumner that I've had the pleasure of reading, it's an enjoyable one with memorable characters. The saga of Dex and Georgiana is a sweet telling of redemption and second-chances. Despite loving one another when they were young, neither told the other, and as a result, Dex left England to pursue a career as a geologist and Georgiana was sold off to an elderly titled man of means who rescued her father from financial ruin. It was not a pleasant experience and Georgiana is determined to never again feel so helpless. Luckily for her, he died and left her financially independent and she intends to enjoy her freedom. She stubbornly refuses to even consider marrying Dex, even though they still love one another, clinging to her freedom, until she finally realizes the freedom she clings to is a trap. It's a prison of sorts. As Dex implores her to reconsider, he curses Arthur (her first husband) for still keeping her prisoner. Georgiana decides that having an affair with Dex will allow the two of them to enjoy one another and then move on without regret. Of course, Dex doesn't believe this, hoping to convince her to marry him after all. I have to wonder whether she truly believed it herself. Although she clings to her assertions, it's clear she's cracking and this observation leaves little room for doubt. "Dex pulled her into his arms and rolled her to her back, his laughter echoing off the crack in the ceiling and smooth as silk, slipping right through it." In much the same way, his laughter, consideration, and love for her slip through the cracks and find their way into her heart. Georgiana and her friend Hildy run an organization called the Duchess Society to help young women navigate the negotiations and contracts of marriage, to ensure they are not left destitute in the event of being widowed. One of the pieces of advice she provides to young women is this: "if you have the luxury of choice, obtuse men are easier to control." One of the things she realizes while spending time with Dex is that she has maintained a very negative view of marriage based on personal experience, but it isn't fair to debutantes to poison their perception of something that could just as likely be sweet and caring. As it turns out, giving in to Dex’s affections makes Georgiana an even better advisor for young debutantes. October 23, 2020
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Elizabeth J ConnorWriter. Editor. Proofreader. Archives
September 2022
Categories |