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A review by benthic_explorer
A Christmas Bride / Christmas Beau by Mary Balogh
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.