A Christmas Present

I 5 star this book based on Lisa Kleypas's short story, Surrender. This is a different type of Romance. The female is actually LADYLIKE. Most romances have ladys who are NOT reserved, sweet, quiet, slightly cold, and with absolutely no experience with males. However, this books heroine, Laura is exactly that. SUCH a refreshing change from the feistly, jaded, or intellectually or politically driven lady's of most romances. You will fall in love with Laura and root for her to overcome her shyness. Jason is the exact opposite of Laura. He is from a lowclass Irish family, and is ashamed of this. He is driven and ruthless with his business and he knows he wants Laura for his wife the moment he meets her years earlier. They fall in love. Oh Happy Ending!

A Christmas Present (1994) contains three holiday stories. Loretta Chase: Falling Stars; Judith E. French: Gifts of the Heart; and Lisa Kleypas: Surrender. The cover indicates it was "free with purchase" which leads me to believe each of these short stories were published previously (as the Kleypas entry was). Surrendar is also in the anthology "Christmas Love Stories" Avon Books, 1991 and also in the very recent "Gifts of Love." I will review at this moment "Surrender" and hope to read and review the other two short works at a later time. Surrender is one of those few stories which actually is well developed despite the shortened nature. Jason is a man tormented by his lower working class childhood who has made it good and left it all behind. The last step was marriage to a Boston nabob's daughter. He chose his school friend's sister (Laura) to fulfill this wish in bringing himself (and resultant children) into society. But it is not a marriage made in heaven and there is much misunderstanding to overcome. Add sexual tension to Jason's feelings of inferiority and you have quite an explosion ready to happen. You really wonder if it will all work out! Great secondary characters including Jason's family that he left behind (but not forgotten!). Worth getting this short story in any anthology it is in.