Title: Christmas Revels IV: Four Regency Novellas
Author: Hannah Meredith, Anna D. Allen, Kate Parker, Louisa Cornell
Genre: Historical Romance, Holiday Romance, Regency
Book Blurb:
The Revels Continue…
The Sergeant’s Christmas Bride – Sergeant Jacob Burrows just wants a place to bed down for the night. He never expects to be confronted by a lady with a gun. Elizabeth FitzWalter intends to drive the stranger off her land, until she realizes he meets her most pressing need.
Home for Christmas – When Charity Fletcher receives a mysterious bequest—a house by the sea—she hopes to rebuild her life. Lord Gilbert Narron leases a seaside house to hide from his memories of war. Charity’s refuge is Gil’s bolt-hole… but what both are seeking is a home for their hearts.
A Memorable Christmas Season –The last thing Lady Roekirk expects at her Christmas party is a dead traitor in her parlor… or the Crown’s Spymaster helping her hide the body. Thirty years earlier, she’d been forced to wed another and Lord Keyminster became a spy. After this long, does their love stand a chance?
A Perfectly Unforgettable Christmas – Every day, Lucien Rollinsby endures a memory of Christmas Eve. Not even his lovely new neighbor can make him forget that horrible night five years ago. Caroline McAlasdair remembers that Christmas Eve, too. But if Lucien recalls her presence there, it will destroy their only chance at happiness forever.
My Review:
The Sergeant’s Christmas Bride:
What a lovely story to kick off this anthology. Both Jacob and Elizabeth are strong-willed characters, each flawed and hiding secrets, which I loved. It’s not everyday that you read a Regency pregnant lady wielding a gun proposing marriage to a soldier. Jacob is tender with her and does what he can to break down her walls, so she’ll trust him. A touching romance that’s my favorite of this set.
Home for Christmas:
With a premise like this one, I knew I was in for a treat. I loved the hijinx that ensued when a single woman with a maid and a colonel lord with his sergeant reside in the same cottage due to a mix-up. Neither party wants to leave so they figure out a way to live together without rousing a scandal. There’s a fun mystery and a treasure map, too. The real treasure, though, is how two unhappy people find love in an unlikely circumstance.
A Memorable Christmas Season:
A murder mystery second-chance romance that even Dame Agatha would love. Lady Roekirk has made some mistakes in her life but when a hated traitor winds up dead in her parlor right before a Christmas party the whole ton is attending, she must act quickly and with the help of the Earl of Keyminster, the young man who left her in her youth to seek glory as a spy. Sparks fly between the two and each must speak the truth before there can be a future that doesn’t include hanging. Loved this story although there were times when Lady Roekirk aka Susanna got on my nerves. Great ending, though.
A Perfectly Unforgettable Christmas:
Every day, Lucien Rollinsby endures a memory of Christmas Eve. Not even his lovely new neighbor can make him forget that horrible night five years ago. Caroline McAlasdair remembers that Christmas Eve, too. But if Lucien recalls her presence there, it will destroy their only chance at happiness forever.
The truth, no matter how hard it is to swallow, will set you free. Both Lucien and Caroline met once before but only Caroline knows the circumstances. Lucien is a shell of the man he was and would love nothing better than to drown his sorrows in brandy. But one little girl turns his life upside down and shows him what love is. A tragic, heart-wrenching story with plenty of drama and intrigue. The romance between Caroline and Lucien (I love that name, by the way) is swift and passionate. There were times when I cried but the ending was spot-on.
Favorite Novella: The Sergeant’s Christmas Bride by Anna D. Allen
My Rating: 5 stars
Buy it now:
Amazon – http://a.co/h2H98jd
Apple iBooks – https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/christmas-revels-iv-four-regency-novellas/id1289152547?mt=11
Barnes and Noble – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/christmas-revels-iv-hannah-meredith/1127145055?ean=2940154556139
Author Biography:
Hannah Meredith is, above all, a storyteller. She’s long been fascinated by the dreams that haunt the human heart and has an abiding interest in English history. This combination led her to write historical romance. Hannah is a member of RWA, the Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, and SFWA.
Anna D. Allen lives deep in the woods with too many books and not enough dogs. She holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Arts in Language and Literature. Her future plans include growing tomatoes and cleaning out the freezer. When not writing or reading, she can be found in the kitchen.
Kate Parker grew up reading her mother’s collection of mystery books by Christie, Sayers, and others. Now she can’t write a story without someone being murdered, and everyday items are studied for their lethal potential. It’s taken her years to convince her husband that she hasn’t poisoned dinner; that funny taste is because she just can’t cook.
Louisa Cornell is a retired opera singer living in LA (Lower Alabama) who cannot remember a time she wasn’t writing or telling stories. Anglophile, student of Regency England, historical romance writer— she escaped Walmart to write historical romance and hasn’t looked back. She is a member of RWA, Southern Magic RWA, and the Beau Monde Chapter of RWA.
Social Media Links:
Hannah – http://www.hannahmeredith.com
Anna – http://beket1.wix.com/annadallen
Kate – http://www.KateParkerbooks.com
Louisa – http://onelondonone.blogspot.com/
Reviewed by: Mrs. N