Three Regency Christmas Romances
Written: Jan 02 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Good stories about women overcoming the confines of society to find love and happiness.
Cons: A bit slow at the beginning; it helps to understand the context
The Bottom Line: For those who understand Regency romance, a must-read. For the rest of us, a good seasonal read, helping to set the tone for Christmas.
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| daphnec's Full Review: Gifts Of The Season Books |
Gifts of the Season, published in 2002 by Harlequin Books, is a Historical Regency anthology featuring three authors of romantic fiction, Miranda Jarrett, Lyn Stone, and Anne Gracie.
My recent experiences with the genre of historical romance have been mostly western historicals, based in the late 1800's in the Wild West. As a result, I had to adjust to the rigorous formality of English society at the beginning of the nineteenth century, where the donts seemed to outweigh the dos by far. My first reaction was great relief that I was born in a far different place and time. Upon further reading, I came to admire the three heroines, who were able to overcome their circumstances and prevail in such strict and confining times.
A Gift Most Rare
Miranda Jarrett transports us to Sussex, England, 1801, a great time to be a woman, if you have a title, a wealthy father, and prospects of being married to a titled gentleman before you were old enough to be declared a spinster. If you were born and raised in England itself, educated in an acceptable fashion, adhering to all the rules of proper society.
Imagine being an Englishwoman, born and raised in India, disgraced and displaced by her father's indiscretions, trying to fit into such restricted society. Sara Blake (really Carstairs), has been spirited to England by the East India Company after her father embezzled several thousand pounds from the company and then committed suicide. In order to become gainfully employed as a governess, one of the few occupations available to an educated woman of reduced circumstances, Sara has been careful to hide from her employers any evidence of her time in India.
Enter Lord Revell Claremont, friend of the Fordyce family, Sara's employers, a scandalous millionaire, and Sara's former fiance and lover. He recognizes Sara, but is confused by all the deception. Typical male, Revell tries to pick up where he left off with Sara, completely unaware of the danger to Sara's position, as apparently a governess must be English-bred and virtuous (having never known or even kissed a man). Sara responds to his stolen kisses, tries to fill him in on her six-year transition from free spirit in India to spinster governess in Regency England. Details of Sara's Indian experience begin to slip past Revell's uncensored lips, and while I could appreciate her swift "saves" (okay, lies to protect her job), I learned to really not like that period of history.
In the course of time (the whole story, 103 pages, covered the week before Christmas), Lady Fordyce, Sara's employer, has decided to run interference and save Sara from the inappropriate advances of her scandalous houseguest, having heard rumors from the servants. Revell's stodgy brother, who has chosen to assimilate to English society and pretend that he'd never really lived in India, is called in to attend the Christmas festivities, and chastize his brother. Sara is kept away from Revell whenever possible. Revell, on the other hand, has decided to marry his former lady love, and sets his own plans into motion. Typical of the times, there is no straight talk, no real self-disclosure. They all just beat around a very big bush.
No governess story would be complete without a cute little kid. Clarissa Fordyce plays matchmaker throughout. Her near-fatal attempt to help the couple along leads to a touching rescue scene and contributes to the happy ending.
A grand masquerade ball, a hundred year old velvet gown, and a king's ransom of sapphires contribute to the happy ending, a bit abrupt, but welcome just the same.
Christmas Charade
Lyn Stone presents a woman who is far ahead of her time. The place is London, England, the year is 1815. Bethany Goodson has been immersed in English society for several seasons. She has the right clothes, the right title, the right parents, the wrong attitude for her day and time. Bethany doesn't want to get married, let alone to a titled Englishman. She doesn't want a man bossing her around, spending her dowry or inheritance. She wants to help the unfortunate.
Along comes childhood friend Jack, Lord Whitworth, and his brother Colin, the wild boys of Bethany's childhood. In a crazy twist of circumstance that I thoroughly enjoyed, Jack and his brother convince Bethany and her poor-relation cousin Euphemia that Colin holds the title, and wealth. The comedy of the piece comes into play when Bethany and Jack decide to pretend to be betrothed so that Bethany can stall her father's attempts at matchmaking until her twenty-fifth birthday, a month away. They play a lot of partner switching games, and help an unattractive spinster to snag the man who had been intended for Bethany.
Through a crazy misunderstanding, Jack thinks that Bethany has borne four illegitimate children (social suicide for sure in that time period), when all the locals know she'd adopted them, but decides to marry her anyway, even though she doesn't want to marry him. Author Lyn Stone clearly went all out in creating an unconventional character, as Bethany even tried to seduce Jack, whom she didn't want to marry. This story was my favorite of the three.
Also taking place in less than a month, this story ends in a wedding you-know-when. I would have found the book worthwhile for this story alone.
The Virtuous Widow
Author Anne Gracie rounds things out with an emotional tale where sweet, truly virtuous widow Lady Elinor Carmichael has spent a year in poverty, fending off her lecherous landlord, scraping out an existence for herself and her young daughter. A gypsy's red candle brings a beaten, robbed, half-frozen amnesiac stranger into their lives, providing, you guessed it, their ultimate salvation.
Ms. Gracie made this story interesting not based on what Ellie did for the stranger that her daughter nicknames "Mr. Bruin" or what he did for the two of them, repairing the cottage, etc. Rather, she daringly infused the story with enough sexual tension to singe the pages. Apparently, in 1816 in Northcumberland, England, a woman could be married and have a child without ever truly experiencing any pleasure whatsoever.
Watching the couple co-exist for a few days in the small confines of a tiny cottage, I enjoyed this sweet little story with a happy ending. To give details would be to ruin the experience for the reader.
Gifts of the Season got off to a slow start, but was quite enjoyable when the characters started to flaunt tradition and seem more like one of us. I enjoyed the book, and would recommend it for a good December read. I tried reading it in October, but it works better with the scent of pine and the jingle of holiday bells.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
daphnec
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Location: El Segundo, CA
Reviews written: 71
Trusted by: 3 members
About Me:
Teacher, married, mother of four
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