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jamiegc's review
4.0
All of these were sweet love stories set during Christmas. Think Hallmark channel at Christmas time, but set in the Regency era.
If you are looking for a light read to get you in to the holiday spirit, then I recommend this book.
I listened to the audiobook. The narrator did a great job, except for the heroines!! She gave them all the same, low-class London accent. It bothered me because none of them 1)came from London or 2) were from the lower class. (The woman in the last story was a vicar's daughter, which would not have been considered lower-class at that time. Also, she was from Yorkshire, so her accent would not have been a low-class London accent. Think more along the lines of Dickon in The Secret Garden.)
If you are looking for a light read to get you in to the holiday spirit, then I recommend this book.
I listened to the audiobook. The narrator did a great job, except for the heroines!! She gave them all the same, low-class London accent. It bothered me because none of them 1)came from London or 2) were from the lower class. (The woman in the last story was a vicar's daughter, which would not have been considered lower-class at that time. Also, she was from Yorkshire, so her accent would not have been a low-class London accent. Think more along the lines of Dickon in The Secret Garden.)
mcorinne's review
4.0
This should probably get more like 3.5 stars, but eh I'm feeling generous. And I'm realizing that I've read enough of these, and I should probably write about the individual stories so I can actually remember which anthology they come from. So here goes.
(1) I was SO excited to read this book because this anthology contains Sarah M. Eden's novella, Christmas at Falstone Castle, which I have been dying to read because it would let me revisit my favorite Sarah M. Eden romance, Adam and Persephone! And I loved it for that. The real romance was with Adam's mom and a neighbor, and I was excited about that because we don't get old romance in the proper romance world. Sadly, though, I just didn't really fall for their romance, so I was bummed about that.
(2) The Heart of Christmas by Anita Stansfield was bad. The heroine was soooo one dimensional. Too "perfect." Loved cooking and cleaning. Magically healed the trauma of her love interest's family in a very short amount of time. Overall, I was eye-rolling through most of it, and didn't enjoy this one.
(3) 'Tis the Season to be Daring by Esther Hatch. WOW. READ THIS ANTHOLOGY JUST FOR THIS ONE SHORT STORY. IT WAS SO GOOD. I think it's one of the best stories I have read in these anthologies and I have read a LOT this year. Esther Hatch is becoming my new favorite proper romance author! (Besides Julianne Donaldson of course but she hasn't come out with new books in a long time so I gotta have a back up). It was so fun! I loved the two main characters, especially the guy because he was hilarious. The plot was pretty unique and I had so much fun seeing them throw social customs to the wind and be completely ridiculous. I almost read this short story twice. I didn't. But I almost did. And maybe I still will? So that should tell you something. This story alone made me round up the anthology one whole star.
(4) The Christmas Dress by Joanna Barker. I would describe this short story as what I typically expect to find in these anthologies. Which is that it makes me roll my eyes and smile in about equal measure. The story, characters, and plot weren't original, but it was still cute. My other complaint would be that the regency speech seemed way forced. Way too many uses of the word/conjunction "shan't." As in, if I see that word more than zero times it is too many times. But again, the ending was cute and it's what I came for.
So here are my final thoughts. If you see this anthology on sale for less than $2 on kindle, get it. Just so that you can read Esther Hatch's short story. That story alone is worth the $2.
(1) I was SO excited to read this book because this anthology contains Sarah M. Eden's novella, Christmas at Falstone Castle, which I have been dying to read because it would let me revisit my favorite Sarah M. Eden romance, Adam and Persephone! And I loved it for that. The real romance was with Adam's mom and a neighbor, and I was excited about that because we don't get old romance in the proper romance world. Sadly, though, I just didn't really fall for their romance, so I was bummed about that.
(2) The Heart of Christmas by Anita Stansfield was bad. The heroine was soooo one dimensional. Too "perfect." Loved cooking and cleaning. Magically healed the trauma of her love interest's family in a very short amount of time. Overall, I was eye-rolling through most of it, and didn't enjoy this one.
(3) 'Tis the Season to be Daring by Esther Hatch. WOW. READ THIS ANTHOLOGY JUST FOR THIS ONE SHORT STORY. IT WAS SO GOOD. I think it's one of the best stories I have read in these anthologies and I have read a LOT this year. Esther Hatch is becoming my new favorite proper romance author! (Besides Julianne Donaldson of course but she hasn't come out with new books in a long time so I gotta have a back up). It was so fun! I loved the two main characters, especially the guy because he was hilarious. The plot was pretty unique and I had so much fun seeing them throw social customs to the wind and be completely ridiculous. I almost read this short story twice. I didn't. But I almost did. And maybe I still will? So that should tell you something. This story alone made me round up the anthology one whole star.
(4) The Christmas Dress by Joanna Barker. I would describe this short story as what I typically expect to find in these anthologies. Which is that it makes me roll my eyes and smile in about equal measure. The story, characters, and plot weren't original, but it was still cute. My other complaint would be that the regency speech seemed way forced. Way too many uses of the word/conjunction "shan't." As in, if I see that word more than zero times it is too many times. But again, the ending was cute and it's what I came for.
So here are my final thoughts. If you see this anthology on sale for less than $2 on kindle, get it. Just so that you can read Esther Hatch's short story. That story alone is worth the $2.
readwithkaitlin's review
5.0
Every story held me in. There were some that I would have loved to have continued on and others that were just right.
annarella's review
4.0
A set of lovely and sweet historical novella. I loved the well described historical setting and the stories.
I look forward to reading other books by this authors.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
I look forward to reading other books by this authors.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
ink__and__page's review
5.0
I read this to see how Sarah Eden’s “Lancaster Family” was evolving and as usual, Sarah Eden did not disappoint! The witty dialogue, the heartwarming family relationships and entertaining character dynamics made for a delightful read! This definitely should be listed on Goodreads as The Lancaster Family series #4.5. It can be read as a stand-alone, although I got a lot out of it knowing all the character back story and continued story development.
thelittlerusticreader's review
4.0
Overall, this collection is exactly as presented: heartwarming. Each story has it’s own quirks and themes, all with a historical, seasonal backdrop. There is nothing objectionable in the content – just a bundle of emotion- stirring, feel good reads to get you in a holiday mood. You’ll need some hot chocolate to round out the experience.
Publication Date: September 1, 2019
Publisher: Covenant Communications
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this title via NetGalley, with thanks to the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: September 1, 2019
Publisher: Covenant Communications
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this title via NetGalley, with thanks to the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.
bookedwithheather's review against another edition
4.0
All Hearts Come Home For Christmas .
Published 2019 .
This is a collection of four short stories that are great if you’re looking for that simple sweet leave you feeling warm inside Christmas book.
Each of the authors put the feeling of Christmas into their own words which lead to four great stories. Some of them I felt were a little slow but still a good read.
I hadn’t heard of these authors before but I’ll definitely be looking them up .
Thank you to Netgalley, the authors and publisher for this digital copy in exchange for my honest review.
Published 2019 .
This is a collection of four short stories that are great if you’re looking for that simple sweet leave you feeling warm inside Christmas book.
Each of the authors put the feeling of Christmas into their own words which lead to four great stories. Some of them I felt were a little slow but still a good read.
I hadn’t heard of these authors before but I’ll definitely be looking them up .
Thank you to Netgalley, the authors and publisher for this digital copy in exchange for my honest review.
annarella's review against another edition
4.0
A set of lovely and sweet historical novella. I loved the well described historical setting and the stories.
I look forward to reading other books by this authors.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
I look forward to reading other books by this authors.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
thespectacledreader's review against another edition
5.0
Very fluffy love story. It was soo cute. I loved it! very fast read, i read it in one night because i couldn't put it down. (lds fiction)
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