Christmas Gifts by Mary Balogh Published by self-published on Oct. 27, 2015
Genres: Christmas, Historical Romance
Pages: 168
Format: Kindle or ebook
Source: purchased
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Also by this author: The Proposal, The Arrangement, The Escape, Only Enchanting, The Heart of Christmas, Christmas Miracles, Only a Promise, Someone To Love, Someone to Hold, Someone To Honor, Always Remember
CHRISTMAS GIFTS brings together three previously published and long out-of-print novellas, each on the theme of Christmas gifts that will last forever because the gift, in essence, is love.
In "The Best Christmas Ever" a boisterous house party is in progress and all the children when asked are eager to tell what they want for Christmas. But one man feels sad, for his young child has not spoken since her mother died and he does not know if the gifts he has bought her will be what she really wants. Unknown to him, her one fervent wish is for a new mother for Christmas, and when she sees one of the guests she knows who that will be. But the lady concerned has an unhappy history with the child's father.
In "The Porcelain Madonna" a gentleman becomes involved with helping an impoverished lady, who thinks of everyone's happiness but her own. However, he has seen her gaze with longing at a porcelain Madonna well beyond her means displayed in a shop window.
In "The Surprise Party" a man and woman who are antagonistic to each other find themselves landed with the care over Christmas of children who are related to each of them. They quarrel over which of them should undertake the task. It is not a happy situation until the children teach them the true meaning of Christmas, and of love, and they discover that they can do it together.
Christmas Gifts gathers together three heartwarming Regency Christmas tales from the incomparable Mary Balogh. All three were new to me, though they’ve been printed in other anthologies. “The Best Christmas Ever” and “The Surprise Party” are both second-chance love stories in which a child or children brings an estranged couple back together, but they are nothing alike beyond that broad theme. The first focuses on a mute child who desperately wants a new mama, while the second involves three recently-orphaned children, their maternal uncle, and their paternal aunt — who have a shared history. “The Porcelain Madonna” was equally delightful as a gentleman who hates Christmas rediscovers his softer side thanks to an impoverished lady and a street urchin. All three tales are brimming with Christmas spirit, though I think the first and third stories are the strongest.
CHALLENGES: HoHoHo Readathon
About Mary Balogh
Mary Jenkins was born in 1944 in Swansea, Wales (UK.) After graduating from university, she moved to Saskatchewan, Canada, to teach high-school English in 1967. She married her Canadian husband, Robert Balogh, and had three children, Jacqueline, Christopher and Sian. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, music and knitting. She also enjoys watching tennis and curling.
Ms. Balogh started writing in the evenings as a hobby. Her first book, a Regency love story, was published in 1985 as A Masked Deception under her married name. In 1988, she retired from teaching after 20 years to pursue her dream to write full-time. She has written more than seventy novels and almost thirty novellas since then, including the New York Times bestselling Slightly sextet, the Simply quartet, and the Huxtables series. She has won numerous awards, including a Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award. 37 of her novels have been NYT bestsellers.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- Historical Romance Reading Challenge 2015
- Ho-Ho-Ho Holiday Read-a-thon 2014
Quinn @ Quinn's Book Nook
I really do enjoy holiday romance novellas. I’ve only read one Mary Balogh book. I should definitely look into these.
Quinn @ Quinn’s Book Nook recently posted…Review: I’ll Be Home for Christmas by Lori Wilde
Lark_Bookwyrm
I hope you enjoy them!
Katherine @ I Wish I Lived in a Library
I’m so behind in Balogh’s books that I don’t even know where to start! She is one of my absolute favorite historical romance authors (which is a genre I’ve been seriously neglecting). This sounds like a fun collection and a great way to revisit Balogh’s characters.
Katherine @ I Wish I Lived in a Library recently posted…Beyond the Books: Christmas Decorations
Lark_Bookwyrm
She’s one of my absolute favorites as well… but I don’t think these stories revisit any of the characters from Balogh’s other books.
Literary Feline
These do sound like wonderful seasonal novellas. I will have to look for this collection. I haven’t read any of these stories or read anything by this author before.
Literary Feline recently posted…Bookish Thoughts: Christmas Bells by Jennifer Chiaverini
Lark_Bookwyrm
It’s a nice collection, and she’s one of my favorite historical romance authors — though on the whole, I prefer her full-length books. Try A Summer to Remember or the Slightly series.
kimbacaffeinate
This sounds good, I have been enjoying holiday anthologies and novellas
kimbacaffeinate recently posted…Misconduct by Penelope Douglas
Lark_Bookwyrm
I really binged on Christmas romances this year! I didn’t get a chance to review all of them, but that’s OK; some were older titles. 🙂