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sheltzer's review
3.0
I didn't like either of the characters in A Christmas Bride. When that happens it's very hard to enjoy a romance novel. She was not nice and he didn't seem to have any thought process that wasn't businesslike.
Christmas Beau was better, but I didn't think any of the characters in either novel had depth.
Christmas Beau was better, but I didn't think any of the characters in either novel had depth.
bookwyrm_lark's review
Review to come. I enjoyed Christmas Beau more than A Christmas Bride, and I'm still debating the star rating on that account.
librarydanielle's review
2.0
while well written and good intentions, I couldn't enjoy these two very much. they're all about pain, and forgiveness, and how much we hurt each other, when what I was hoping for was a fun Christmas romance. these are not fun. expertely written and poignant, but not fun.
12/29/13
12/29/13
benthic_explorer's review
3.0
Here’s the thing... the first novella in this 2-in-1 volume was *awful*. I literately liked none of the characters, male and female alike.
Although, i do get the feeling that the author was trying for something like those Hallmark movies where a jaded city woman gets drawn into the Christmas shenanigans of a down-home, country-type fella and “learns to love again”. But it didn’t translate so well into this 19th century setting. Also, her reasons for self-loathing made me kind of loathe her, too?
(Actually, I haven’t a clue when this novella was written so it could actually pre-date the Hallmark movies. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ )
Regardless, it didn’t work for me.
As for the second novella... Well, by itself I would have given it four stars. But as per the usual with Mary Balogh’s novellas, the whole “man does terrible, near unforgivable thing” being wrapped up within a few paragraphs with the heroine finding some way to excuse it and him not effusively apologizing just leaves me more annoyed than satisfied.
Oh well. I mean I know these things when I go into these older, shorter works of hers. Still, the enjoyment I get from the juicy, juicy set ups is more than enough to keep me reading through the Mary Balogh catalogue.
Anyways, if anyone else picks up this book I’d say skip the first volume and mind your expectations for the second.
Although, i do get the feeling that the author was trying for something like those Hallmark movies where a jaded city woman gets drawn into the Christmas shenanigans of a down-home, country-type fella and “learns to love again”. But it didn’t translate so well into this 19th century setting. Also, her reasons for self-loathing made me kind of loathe her, too?
(Actually, I haven’t a clue when this novella was written so it could actually pre-date the Hallmark movies. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ )
Regardless, it didn’t work for me.
As for the second novella... Well, by itself I would have given it four stars. But as per the usual with Mary Balogh’s novellas, the whole “man does terrible, near unforgivable thing” being wrapped up within a few paragraphs with the heroine finding some way to excuse it and him not effusively apologizing just leaves me more annoyed than satisfied.
Oh well. I mean I know these things when I go into these older, shorter works of hers. Still, the enjoyment I get from the juicy, juicy set ups is more than enough to keep me reading through the Mary Balogh catalogue.
Anyways, if anyone else picks up this book I’d say skip the first volume and mind your expectations for the second.
serenityfire's review
3.0
While they stories are well crafted, both were much too dark for me to enjoy them as Christmas stories.
turophile's review
2.0
Rating and review Mary Balogh stories is always challenging, because I just love her style as a romance novelist. My rankings tend to be against other Balogh novels, not other romances.
Putting the preface out there because this matching set of Christmas stories wasn’t a favorite. In fact I really was not a fan of the first story.
What makes Balogh’s stories stand out for me is that she’s a master with writing flawed and/or injured characters who must overcome or adapt to that challenge while falling in love. It often works, but in a Christmas Bride it did not work for me. The heroine, Helena, is battling her inner demons, and it is odd as heck. Apparently she and the hero were side characters in different stories. There are external conflicts keeping her and Edgar apart, but the bigger conflict is her own feelings of guilt and unworthiness that seem overdone and puzzling. Something happened with her stepson, not quite incest, but we’re still not sure what happened. It goes overboard and is puzzling because I’m never quite sure whether to empathize with the heroine or not. Disappointing story overall.
The second story was fine, better than the first but as a pair, I’m giving this 2/5 on the Balogh scale.