Take a photo of a barcode or cover
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
3.5 stars
While I generally enjoyed these stories I definitely discovered that I prefer full-length novels rather than novellas since the quick pace at which the characters fall in love really threw me out of the story at times
While I generally enjoyed these stories I definitely discovered that I prefer full-length novels rather than novellas since the quick pace at which the characters fall in love really threw me out of the story at times
After reading this I went on to read Joanna Shupe novels and they were good. I will read more Sophie Jordan. I had already read Sarah Maclean's latest series but this made me go back and read her backlist and it was really good.
Not Tessa Dare.
Not Tessa Dare.
Tessa's is a five. Sophie Jordan's a solid 4, would have been higher for me if it wasn't soooooo much dependent on sexual encounters. 3 for Sarah Maclean's. I skipped the last one as it was not to my romance preferences. A good read and worth it for Tessa Dare's magic.
This was a fun, light-hearted collection. I REALLY enjoyed the stories from Tessa Dare and Sarah MacLean, wasn't a big fan of the Sophie Jordan one, and liked the Joanna Shupe one, but not as much as the first two. Would recommend to fans of genre romance. Listened on scribd on audiobook. 1st completed book of 2021!
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
Overall I enjoyed all of the stories and the shortbread connection.
Meet Me in Mayfair
⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is the lowest rated (although ironically what initially drew me in because I love Tessa Dare) because it felt very rushed. The romance between Louisa and James didn't really have a lot of time to develop because they were only getting to know each other over the course of one night. I did enjoy the way Louisa tried to get him to see London from her point of view. I thought it was cute if a little overdramatic.
The Duke of Christmas Present
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I loved the angst and mutual pinning. I loved that Sarah gave Eben Scrooge elements and I loved how resourceful Jack was. I thought their relationship was believable, if a little sad. The only thing I'm surprised by is that they weren't forced to marry earlier. They had slept together multiple times when they were younger and I'm surprised that Jack's aunt didn't insist, even though she's a free spirit. I think that it would have worked as a second chance romance between a married couple just as well. It would remove the fiancee but Jack thought of him so little that I don't think it would have changed the story much. She could have said she was going to leave again if Eben didn't get his shit together and it would have been just as an effective stake. But overall very satisfying.
Heiress Alone
⭐⭐⭐.5
I enjoyed this as well. The only thing I didn't like was the "I'm not like other girls" vibe I got from Annis. Like it's stated multiple times that she's not like her sister or that one servant. I didn't enjoy the entire servant story line, and how because she didn't get to be the duchess she betrayed them. I think that most people do what they can with what they have and I dislike that she was portrayed that way. But I am here for the Highlander vibe and I loved how much Calder and Annis were very attracted to each other and I thought the story was very hot.
Christmas in Central Park
⭐⭐⭐.5
I was more conflicted with this one. I didn't like Duke. I didn't like that he didn't allow for shades of grey in his life, but I like his journey. I loved Rose! I thought it was great that she was trying to make a name for herself and to give her mom a better life. I thought it was adorable that Duke read every article that Rose wrote, which is why it was so heartbreaking when he behaved how he did when he found out that Rose lied. It was a very damned if you do, damned if you don't situation that he put her in, so I did not like that. But Rose really made it better for me.
Meet Me in Mayfair
⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is the lowest rated (although ironically what initially drew me in because I love Tessa Dare) because it felt very rushed. The romance between Louisa and James didn't really have a lot of time to develop because they were only getting to know each other over the course of one night. I did enjoy the way Louisa tried to get him to see London from her point of view. I thought it was cute if a little overdramatic.
The Duke of Christmas Present
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I loved the angst and mutual pinning. I loved that Sarah gave Eben Scrooge elements and I loved how resourceful Jack was. I thought their relationship was believable, if a little sad. The only thing I'm surprised by is that they weren't forced to marry earlier. They had slept together multiple times when they were younger and I'm surprised that Jack's aunt didn't insist, even though she's a free spirit. I think that it would have worked as a second chance romance between a married couple just as well. It would remove the fiancee but Jack thought of him so little that I don't think it would have changed the story much. She could have said she was going to leave again if Eben didn't get his shit together and it would have been just as an effective stake. But overall very satisfying.
Heiress Alone
⭐⭐⭐.5
I enjoyed this as well. The only thing I didn't like was the "I'm not like other girls" vibe I got from Annis. Like it's stated multiple times that she's not like her sister or that one servant. I didn't enjoy the entire servant story line, and how because she didn't get to be the duchess she betrayed them. I think that most people do what they can with what they have and I dislike that she was portrayed that way. But I am here for the Highlander vibe and I loved how much Calder and Annis were very attracted to each other and I thought the story was very hot.
Christmas in Central Park
⭐⭐⭐.5
I was more conflicted with this one. I didn't like Duke. I didn't like that he didn't allow for shades of grey in his life, but I like his journey. I loved Rose! I thought it was great that she was trying to make a name for herself and to give her mom a better life. I thought it was adorable that Duke read every article that Rose wrote, which is why it was so heartbreaking when he behaved how he did when he found out that Rose lied. It was a very damned if you do, damned if you don't situation that he put her in, so I did not like that. But Rose really made it better for me.
Stories ranged from 3-5 stars, so I'll settle for 4.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This would have been nearly perfect if it weren’t for Tessa Dare’s story, which is shocking because I love Tessa Dare.
“Meet Me in Mayfair,” by Tessa Dare: 3/5 stars
“The Duke of Christmas Present,” by Sarah MacLean: 5/5 stars
“Heiress Alone,” by Sophie Jordan: 4/5
“Christmas in Central Park,” by Joanna Shupe: 5/5
These were all really good, and my favorite was Christmas in Central Park, so I’ll definitely be checking Joanna Shupe out in the future!
“Meet Me in Mayfair,” by Tessa Dare: 3/5 stars
“The Duke of Christmas Present,” by Sarah MacLean: 5/5 stars
“Heiress Alone,” by Sophie Jordan: 4/5
“Christmas in Central Park,” by Joanna Shupe: 5/5
These were all really good, and my favorite was Christmas in Central Park, so I’ll definitely be checking Joanna Shupe out in the future!
These stories are definitely what I call escapist historical romance. This means there are some pretty glaring historical inaccuracies. I don't mind, the escapism works for me, I suspend disbelief and place the setting in an alternate universe, but I know some people dislike this, and it's good to know what you're getting.
Meet Me in Mayfair by Tessa Dare
It's a delightful little story with two kind and funny main characters, conflict that caught me up immediately, and the great writing and banter Dare excels at. I don't know how she does it but she can catch me up in the story immediately and I always find her books so easy, fun and light to read. She just gets it right, for me at least. The hero and heroine are both prickly with strong opinions, but also loyal and caring people. They are very well matched and that epilogue was adorable, I like having a proper epilogue to put the conflict behind me and lift my spirits. Louisa's family were a lovely touch, I do enjoy large, loving families in fiction. The snowy wintery atmosphere was perfect as was the exploration of Mayfair. While very anachronistic I also liked Louisa's feminist views and how she defended them. 5 stars.
The Duke of Christmas Present by Sarah MacLean
This is a retelling of Dickens' A Christmas Carol, with a strong focus on themes of past, present and future, and regret.
This story is saturated in angst. Eben is angsty MacAngstypants. Lots of yearning here, general social ineptitude, grumpiness and bad priorities. But he has a good heart and tries hard, once he's been pointed in the right direction about a million times. We spend the story learning about these characters' powerful history, watching them quarrel and waiting for Eben to pull his head out of his arse. But it's well written overall. Jack is sunny and adventurous and fun, poor girl was put through the wringer by her man but she prevails. I do struggle with the name Jacqueline though. It is so very dated here in France, it's the equivalent of Barbara, Carol or Susan for us.
I have to say the romantic gestures and past scenes between Eben and Jack were adorable. They make it work very well as a holiday romance. And the ending was sweet and definitely made me feel those two were secure and would be very happy together, which is what I want from a romance. It didn't feel rushed. 4 stars.
Heiress Alone by Sophie Jordan
I think this is inspired by the film Home Alone but I've never seen it. This story did not work for me. It felt overexplained, forced and extremely rushed. I feel bad saying this, but there are so many clichéd, overused sentences, thoughts, plot devices, phrasings... it felt very recycled.
Aaaand we have a "not like other girls" sighting! Her sisters are portrayed as tittering, superficial title chasers. It's saddening to see such lazy, misogynistic methods still being used to make the heroine special. It has the opposite effect on me, and makes me less enthusiastic about the heroine.
The heroine is TSTL,she trips and gives herself a concussion, apparently, since she is unconscious for an absolute age. Then having the duke bring a cold Annis into his own bed to warm her up himself, with the old "I'll use my naked body to warm you and save you" trope... That's stretching propriety too much, even for an escapist romance. Look, this is a trope for a reason. It's compelling and it works. But if you want to use this trope, you've got to set it up right. Two people stranded in a tent or a cabin in a snowstorm, or something. Not a duke and an heiress, in regency England, in a perfectly well stocked and proper Duke's house. She'd have been given a guest room, and servants would have warmed her quite adequately with bedwarmers and such. The Duke would never, ever have been even in the vicinity of her bedroom.
And then we have the big-breasted lower class temptress throwing herself at him. Ugh.
The housekeepers' meddling is annoying and creepy, not cute.
It just kept on getting more ridiculous from there, including a completely absurd resolution of the band of brigands subplot. Also hero and heroine are constantly jumping each other after only knowing each other for 2 days. That kind of thing is so completely opposed to the mindset of the day. I can take some stretching of historical accuracy, some creative problem solving, some romanticising... It's par for the course. But taking the ideas and mindset of the day and gleefully stomping on them like that is just too much for me. This story could just as well, and should, have had a modern setting, because the characters had such modern attitudes. Plus the second hand embarrassment over the servants constantly walking in on them having sex was real.
By the end I was laughing at the story, not with the story. It's a shame because after the first two stories which were great, I was predisposed to like this and didn't expect to be let down. 2 stars.
Christmas in Central Park by Joanna Shupe
Thankfully this story wrapped up the collection well. The writing was solid and clear, the situation and characters were interesting. I liked the Gilded Age setting, it's nice to see something different.
I was so rooting for Rose's job and had my fingers crossed all along that she would pull off her dinner party. Rose was a great heroine, the kind of person I like, she was intelligent and defended herself, she had character and always tried to do her best. Her decisions made sense to me.
I liked how supportive her friends were, and her editor was a good person. Duke had some learning to do, but was a decent hero. 4 stars.
Meet Me in Mayfair by Tessa Dare
It's a delightful little story with two kind and funny main characters, conflict that caught me up immediately, and the great writing and banter Dare excels at. I don't know how she does it but she can catch me up in the story immediately and I always find her books so easy, fun and light to read. She just gets it right, for me at least. The hero and heroine are both prickly with strong opinions, but also loyal and caring people. They are very well matched and that epilogue was adorable, I like having a proper epilogue to put the conflict behind me and lift my spirits. Louisa's family were a lovely touch, I do enjoy large, loving families in fiction. The snowy wintery atmosphere was perfect as was the exploration of Mayfair. While very anachronistic I also liked Louisa's feminist views and how she defended them. 5 stars.
The Duke of Christmas Present by Sarah MacLean
This is a retelling of Dickens' A Christmas Carol, with a strong focus on themes of past, present and future, and regret.
This story is saturated in angst. Eben is angsty MacAngstypants. Lots of yearning here, general social ineptitude, grumpiness and bad priorities. But he has a good heart and tries hard, once he's been pointed in the right direction about a million times. We spend the story learning about these characters' powerful history, watching them quarrel and waiting for Eben to pull his head out of his arse. But it's well written overall. Jack is sunny and adventurous and fun, poor girl was put through the wringer by her man but she prevails. I do struggle with the name Jacqueline though. It is so very dated here in France, it's the equivalent of Barbara, Carol or Susan for us.
I have to say the romantic gestures and past scenes between Eben and Jack were adorable. They make it work very well as a holiday romance. And the ending was sweet and definitely made me feel those two were secure and would be very happy together, which is what I want from a romance. It didn't feel rushed. 4 stars.
Heiress Alone by Sophie Jordan
I think this is inspired by the film Home Alone but I've never seen it. This story did not work for me. It felt overexplained, forced and extremely rushed. I feel bad saying this, but there are so many clichéd, overused sentences, thoughts, plot devices, phrasings... it felt very recycled.
Aaaand we have a "not like other girls" sighting! Her sisters are portrayed as tittering, superficial title chasers. It's saddening to see such lazy, misogynistic methods still being used to make the heroine special. It has the opposite effect on me, and makes me less enthusiastic about the heroine.
The heroine is TSTL,
And then we have the big-breasted lower class temptress throwing herself at him. Ugh.
The housekeepers' meddling is annoying and creepy, not cute.
It just kept on getting more ridiculous from there, including a completely absurd resolution of the band of brigands subplot. Also hero and heroine are constantly jumping each other after only knowing each other for 2 days. That kind of thing is so completely opposed to the mindset of the day. I can take some stretching of historical accuracy, some creative problem solving, some romanticising... It's par for the course. But taking the ideas and mindset of the day and gleefully stomping on them like that is just too much for me. This story could just as well, and should, have had a modern setting, because the characters had such modern attitudes. Plus the second hand embarrassment over the servants constantly walking in on them having sex was real.
By the end I was laughing at the story, not with the story. It's a shame because after the first two stories which were great, I was predisposed to like this and didn't expect to be let down. 2 stars.
Christmas in Central Park by Joanna Shupe
Thankfully this story wrapped up the collection well. The writing was solid and clear, the situation and characters were interesting. I liked the Gilded Age setting, it's nice to see something different.
I was so rooting for Rose's job and had my fingers crossed all along that she would pull off her dinner party. Rose was a great heroine, the kind of person I like, she was intelligent and defended herself, she had character and always tried to do her best. Her decisions made sense to me.
I liked how supportive her friends were, and her editor was a good person. Duke had some learning to do, but was a decent hero. 4 stars.
I enjoyed the first 3 stories very much, especially the first, by Tessa Dare. The fourth sort of started off badly with me, because I don't tend to like my romance American, pretty much ever. To make matters worse, I found the writing, particularly the dialog, to be stilted. Shupe's dogged refusal to use a contraction might please a composition teacher, but serves only to repeatedly jar the reader out of the narrative. I finished the story, because it wasn't that long, and the story itself wasn't wholly unappealing, but I didn't much care for it.
Nearly done with the yule-themed TBR. Hopefully I manage to finish it before I manage to send off the last gift package. At this point, it looks like being a photo finish.
Nearly done with the yule-themed TBR. Hopefully I manage to finish it before I manage to send off the last gift package. At this point, it looks like being a photo finish.