The Regency Christmas IX

Signet Regency Christmas collections are the best on the market if you like this sort of thing and I do - very much. However, this year's was not the best but, still, anything by Kelly, Layton and Metzger is a Must Read for me. They did not let me down.Sandra Heath's contribution, "The Solid Silver Chess Set" irked me, sadly, although it was clever and amusing enough. I just don't like fantasy and especially not mixed with Regency fare. Sorry - this one gave me indigestion! Elves. Yeech!Amanda McCabe's "Partridge in a Pear Tree" is better. She has used a tried and perfected "winner takes all format" where through the machinations of a rich elderly relative, a poor woman and a poor man trump everyone and walk away with the prize of the inheritance. Using a "scavenger hunt" (in England more likely to be called a treasure hunt) a couple win the ultimate prize as well as riches - true love. Well enough done.Edith Layton's story is a reworking of the Scrooge story with a twist. A poor woman (and not in her first youth!) wins her love when she is set up by her particular Scrooge. There is sparkling conversation here and a fun few pages. Layton always does this sort of thing well.You can rely on Barbara Metzger for comedy and wit. Here is a sample "His lordship (our hero) was known to be pockets-to-let, seeking to repair his tattered fortune with a dowry darning needle". And another: "She (our heroine) was used to Hanbury House and Ravencroft, not a ramshackle residence for rats and bats and down-at-heels aristocrats". Enough said - this story is delicious and peopled with amusing characters. Gregory and Claire deserve each other and it was fun to watch them!Carla Kelly is simply one of the best in the business and she NEVER lets you down. Her story of Mary McIntyre, suddenly set adrift from all she has ever known, and Joe Shepard, a not-so-ordinary simple man from a humble background, is peopled by wonderful secondary characters all of whom add to the story in a tight-knit tale of love, greed, humility and acceptance - all in a few short pages which sum up so well all that is important about Christmas. This woman never ceases to amaze me with her huge talents.A lovely Christmas holiday read; highly recommended particularly for the Layton, Metzger and Kelly contributions.

This is the fourteenth Regency Christmas Collection issued by Signet. From the very first edition, the quality has always been high, although to be sure, some have been higher than others. To me, this one is the very best of the bunch. It is as though each author has gone a little beyond her normal wonderful skills, and created something a bit more special than usual for this year of 2002. Four of the authors are favorites from past years; Edith Layton was in the very first book, so it's only appropriate that she lead off. Sandra Heath, Carla Kelly and Barbara Metzger have each been in several of the books, while Amanda McCabe is a worthy newcomer to the collection.In some years, the books have had a theme, but this year they're just wonderful, heart-warming stories. Edith Layton's "The Amiable Miser" gives us a different look at a miserly sort of fellow, but one with the proverbial heart of gold. And even though he didn't really have to spend any of his valuables, he was still able to provide his niece with her heart's desire.Barbara Metzger turns from her usual menagerie to the 'infantry' in the delightful "A Home for Hannah". Hannah is an orphan, or so she and the rest of the world thinks, until one day in the park, she spies a likely candidate to be her new 'Papa', thus setting in motion all sorts of interesting activities. Her new Papa is a penniless gentleman who discovers that love can indeed conquer all."A Partridge in a Pear Tree" by Amanda McCabe proves that the eye of the beholder may not always see the same things as the rest of the world, but in the end, it is the one who sets the rules that wins the game. Simplicity is, in many instances, much better than grandiose ideas, as established by Lady Kirkwood with her competition. Of course, the Lady wins out, bringing together two young relatives, Allison and William, who discover the true meaning of Christmas.Certainly there are elves afoot at Christmastime; if you have doubts, you need do no more than read "The Solid Silver Chess Set" by Sandra Heath. If you then still have doubts, you can have no heart, no soul, and no sense of humor, either. The trials of poor little Bramble Bumblekin will bring a smile to your heart if you will but let them, and your soul will be warmed by the reunion of the formerly-fickle Miss Julia and her erstwhile suitor, Philip. Even young Bramble's holiday is made brighter by the inventive imagination of the author.And finally, Carla Kelly unveils the solution to a mystery in "No Room at the Inn", allowing the young Mary to find not only her identity but her family as well. Twice over, in fact, when Joe also settles her into a love-filled home she'd never thought to have.Any of these stories will provide a magnum of holiday cheer; together they'll warm your chilly nights and make you think of happy holidays! Enjoy!

The reviewers may not get the ISBN or photo of the covers, but the review they wrote IS for the one above. I just purchased this book yesterday and IT IS THE SAME AUTHORS, STORIES, ETC. She did not review the wrong book.

A book containing stories by my favorite authors makes for a wonderful taste of Christmas. All are beautifully written, as would be expected from five of the most experienced Regency writers around, and the feel-good factor is as plentiful as the holly and mistletoe. If I have to choose a winner, the elf gets to the line first! Sandra Heath's Bramble Bumblekin made me laugh while he played my heartstrings, but Amanda McCabe's partridge fluttered up fast on the inside rail, with the other three neck-and-neck for third place.

The book reviewed here is not the book above! That one was published in 1998. The book above, A REGENCY CHRISTMAS #9, was just published in October 2002. So the reviews listed here don't apply - different authors, different stories.