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
I came here to read Tessa Dare’s short story. Ever since I started her Girl Meets Duke series I’ve made it my mission to read her entire back catalog as well as future titles. Her writing is so easy breeze and certainly beautiful.
Her short story was good. It wasn’t my favorite thing I’ve ever read. And maybe by the very nature of it being a short story I didn’t feel like I had enough time to really connect to the characters. And honestly it took me a while to truly decide if I actually cared about whether or not Louise and James ended up together in the end. While I certainly don’t regret reading this story. I definitely won’t read it again.
I also read Sarah MacLean’s story. I did really enjoy her story The Duke of Christmas Present. MacLean’s writing style is not as easy and funny to me as Dare’s, but I felt like her story and my desire to care about the characters was greater in this story.
After that I read about half of Sophie Jordan’s “Heiress Alone.” I love the movie Home Alone. I love a Scottish dudes. Put them together in a historical romance and that sounds like a good time, but meh. It was not enough to keep me interested.
It was at that point that I threw in the reading towel and decided I was okay with not finishing the anthology because honestly I came into it to read Tessa Dare. My goal was finished and thus I could rightfully move on to my next read.
Her short story was good. It wasn’t my favorite thing I’ve ever read. And maybe by the very nature of it being a short story I didn’t feel like I had enough time to really connect to the characters. And honestly it took me a while to truly decide if I actually cared about whether or not Louise and James ended up together in the end. While I certainly don’t regret reading this story. I definitely won’t read it again.
I also read Sarah MacLean’s story. I did really enjoy her story The Duke of Christmas Present. MacLean’s writing style is not as easy and funny to me as Dare’s, but I felt like her story and my desire to care about the characters was greater in this story.
After that I read about half of Sophie Jordan’s “Heiress Alone.” I love the movie Home Alone. I love a Scottish dudes. Put them together in a historical romance and that sounds like a good time, but meh. It was not enough to keep me interested.
It was at that point that I threw in the reading towel and decided I was okay with not finishing the anthology because honestly I came into it to read Tessa Dare. My goal was finished and thus I could rightfully move on to my next read.
Meet Me in Mayfair by Tessa Dare *****
Such a sweet, simple story with the main characters taking one another on an incredible emotional journey just by wandering through London's streets at night. Dare is a quality writer with a distinctive, humorous voice and heroines I adore. She absolutely delivers here.
The Duke of Christmas Present by Sarah MacLean **
A youthful romance second chance type story. I wasn't really all that enthralled, sorry to say. The half fake half not fake fiance situation only made the story more annoying, not suspenseful.
Heiress Alone by Sophie Jordan *
Home Alone in Regency Scotland, more or less. Oh no, the girl no one remembered existed was left all alone in the family estate. There are robbers on the loose! Good thing her sexy, cranky neighbor the duke is here to save the day. Snooze.
Christmas in Central Park by Joanna Shupe *
When a newspaper columnist's editor is fired, the owner of the newspaper, not realizing that she's not the matron she presents herself as, demands that she host a dinner party for his board. She and a gaggle of her servant friends conspire to pull it off, and an improbably rapid and difficult to believe romance ensues. Out of nowhere. And goes from never having spoken to a fuck in a closet to a marriage proposal in like 3 days. Uh. Ok.
Such a sweet, simple story with the main characters taking one another on an incredible emotional journey just by wandering through London's streets at night. Dare is a quality writer with a distinctive, humorous voice and heroines I adore. She absolutely delivers here.
The Duke of Christmas Present by Sarah MacLean **
A youthful romance second chance type story. I wasn't really all that enthralled, sorry to say. The half fake half not fake fiance situation only made the story more annoying, not suspenseful.
Heiress Alone by Sophie Jordan *
Home Alone in Regency Scotland, more or less. Oh no, the girl no one remembered existed was left all alone in the family estate. There are robbers on the loose! Good thing her sexy, cranky neighbor the duke is here to save the day. Snooze.
Christmas in Central Park by Joanna Shupe *
When a newspaper columnist's editor is fired, the owner of the newspaper, not realizing that she's not the matron she presents herself as, demands that she host a dinner party for his board. She and a gaggle of her servant friends conspire to pull it off, and an improbably rapid and difficult to believe romance ensues. Out of nowhere. And goes from never having spoken to a fuck in a closet to a marriage proposal in like 3 days. Uh. Ok.
Meet Me at Mayfair by Tessa Dare: 4/5
The Duke of Xmas Present: 3.5/5
Heiress Alone by Sophie Jordan: 3.5/5
Christmas in Central Park by Joanna Shupe: 4/5
I enjoyed all stories but found the pacing of some of them to be a bit slow. Overall a very nice historical romance Christmas anthology!
The Duke of Xmas Present: 3.5/5
Heiress Alone by Sophie Jordan: 3.5/5
Christmas in Central Park by Joanna Shupe: 4/5
I enjoyed all stories but found the pacing of some of them to be a bit slow. Overall a very nice historical romance Christmas anthology!
Disappointed.
After the first two, really excellent, short stories I’d suggest stopping. After that there’s some questionable consent, alphaholes, and employer sexual harassment. I expected more from this collection, honestly.
But free shortbread recipe, so that’s something.
After the first two, really excellent, short stories I’d suggest stopping. After that there’s some questionable consent, alphaholes, and employer sexual harassment. I expected more from this collection, honestly.
But free shortbread recipe, so that’s something.
3.5- 4 stars! I bought this as a Christmas time romance! These 4 novellas were so cute, fun, and romantic!
Love the witty banter in Tessa Dare novella, “Meet Me in Mayfair!” Louisa reminds me of Jo March from Little Women. Also, Elizabeth from Pride and Prejudice!
Love the witty banter in Tessa Dare novella, “Meet Me in Mayfair!” Louisa reminds me of Jo March from Little Women. Also, Elizabeth from Pride and Prejudice!
switched from the audio to the ebook and it didn't help at all. this was just bad and boring with barely any christmas atmosphere. such a disappointment.
tessa dare's was the best. i couldn't even get through the second one. the third one was better, but somehow the duke's actions made me feel icky. i wanted to castrate the "hero" in the fourth one. what an asshole.
this anthology was a waste of time. i'm staying away from historical romance for a while or at the very least, i'm done with stories about dukes.
tessa dare's was the best. i couldn't even get through the second one. the third one was better, but somehow the duke's actions made me feel icky. i wanted to castrate the "hero" in the fourth one. what an asshole.
this anthology was a waste of time. i'm staying away from historical romance for a while or at the very least, i'm done with stories about dukes.
I really liked the first three stories - classic "Victorian England" historical romance. The final story didn't jive with me (more American turn of the century historical) and the premise of story didn't interest me enough to finish reading the final story
Other than the Tessa Dare story (which is magical and feminist and has people learning and growing, really all the things!) these aren’t the novellas for me. They seem to not only be connected by shortbread and dukes but also by some major deception and LOTS of bad tropes.
The ways that deception are used in these stories just don’t fill me with confidence that these couples will end up happily. They’re HFN at best and nowhere close to HEA. Also, in two of the novellas, the hero basically promises to change his entire manner of approaching life cuz love and that sounds like everyone setting themselves up to fail. I’m just not a fan of love can fix everything. If you are - have at this.
One final thing - can we please be done with the “not like other women and therefore good” thing? Pretty please? Cuz it’s bullshit. Stop.
The ways that deception are used in these stories just don’t fill me with confidence that these couples will end up happily. They’re HFN at best and nowhere close to HEA. Also, in two of the novellas, the hero basically promises to change his entire manner of approaching life cuz love and that sounds like everyone setting themselves up to fail. I’m just not a fan of love can fix everything. If you are - have at this.
One final thing - can we please be done with the “not like other women and therefore good” thing? Pretty please? Cuz it’s bullshit. Stop.
4 really solid novellas. Maclean’s second chance romance was my favorite.