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568 reviews for:
How the Dukes Stole Christmas
Sarah MacLean, Joanna Shupe, Sophie Jordan, Tessa Dare
3.66 AVERAGE
568 reviews for:
How the Dukes Stole Christmas
Sarah MacLean, Joanna Shupe, Sophie Jordan, Tessa Dare
3.66 AVERAGE
medium-paced
lighthearted
I enjoyed two of the stories, especially the Tessa Dare one, but the other two were just ok. The difficulty with short story romances is the main characters have to fall in love in just a matter of a few days. Suspending reality for the sake of a holiday romance is required. I'd recommend this book at least for Meet Me in Mayfair.
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
As this is a collection of novellas/short stories, I'm going to say that the rating (3.5 stars) is an average of the stories.
I loved Tessa Dare's story (as always). This one was probably a 4 star for me. This story is also the least steamy of the four.
Sarah MacLean's story is a Christmas Carol retelling and it is a childhood friends-to-lovers angsty story. I enjoyed his a lot as well and again, probably a 4 star.
Sophie Jordan is a new author to me and I really enjoyed this. You have to suspend your disbelief because this one is a Home Alone retelling. However, I loved the Scottish hero and the fact that before the heroine falls in love she wants to become a nun... I need that in my romance novels more, that's so entertaining. One of the steamy scenes might rub some people the wrong way I admit and for that, I have to rate this one 3 stars. But I definitely will be reading more from Sophie Jordan!
I love Joanna Shupe but this one didn't work for me as much. A workplace romance with mistaken identity would not totally be a turn-off but this is boss/employee and that's a bit... off, especially in the realm of historical romance. Also the hero was just not as likeable as the others in the other stories. In fact there was a male best friend in this story and I liked him better (but he was already spoken for and not a love interest for the heroine). 2.5 stars.
Overall, this is a fun Christmas story anthology.
I loved Tessa Dare's story (as always). This one was probably a 4 star for me. This story is also the least steamy of the four.
Sarah MacLean's story is a Christmas Carol retelling and it is a childhood friends-to-lovers angsty story. I enjoyed his a lot as well and again, probably a 4 star.
Sophie Jordan is a new author to me and I really enjoyed this. You have to suspend your disbelief because this one is a Home Alone retelling. However, I loved the Scottish hero and the fact that before the heroine falls in love she wants to become a nun... I need that in my romance novels more, that's so entertaining. One of the steamy scenes might rub some people the wrong way I admit and for that, I have to rate this one 3 stars. But I definitely will be reading more from Sophie Jordan!
I love Joanna Shupe but this one didn't work for me as much. A workplace romance with mistaken identity would not totally be a turn-off but this is boss/employee and that's a bit... off, especially in the realm of historical romance. Also the hero was just not as likeable as the others in the other stories. In fact there was a male best friend in this story and I liked him better (but he was already spoken for and not a love interest for the heroine). 2.5 stars.
Overall, this is a fun Christmas story anthology.
Some stories were better than others--Tessa's was my favorite. I usually dislike novellas because the narrative gets so compressed that it loses plausibility. That was the case for nearly all the stories, except Sarah's where the hero and heroine had grown up together and had history. Ironically, her story was the most plodding, with very little development and a lot of angst. I liked the addition of the shortbread recipe in each story, which tied them all together.
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“Meet Me in Mayfair” by Tessa Dare
The story was a bit too short and there was no time to develop the characters or the relationship in a satisfactory way. - 3 stars
“The Duke of Christmas Present” by Sarah MacLean
This one was surprisingly good for a short story and I really enjoyed it - 4.25 stars
“Heiress Alone” by Sophie Jordan
This was cute and short - 3.5 stars
“Christmas in Central Park” by Joanna Shupe
The story was a bit too short and there was no time to develop the characters or the relationship in a satisfactory way. - 3 stars
“The Duke of Christmas Present” by Sarah MacLean
This one was surprisingly good for a short story and I really enjoyed it - 4.25 stars
“Heiress Alone” by Sophie Jordan
This was cute and short - 3.5 stars
“Christmas in Central Park” by Joanna Shupe
I don't know what to think about this last one. The power dynamic was off and the hero was veeeery unlikable. Not only did he practically blackmail the heroine into entertaining and deceiving people for a whole evening (not to mention the huge amount of work that he sprung on her in the last minute for the holidays, justifying it by being her boss - so he can do anything to her, in public or private life, of course), but then being mad when the deception is revealed. It's a no from me. - 2 stars