Review: The Holly and the Ivy

by Sarah M. Eden, Esther Hatch, Dana LeCheminant, & Anneka R. Walker

The Holly and the Ivy was a fun Christmas collection of sweet Regency tales. I had read two of the authors before and two of them were new to me. And although the novellas may link to other stories written by these authors, they all four were entirely enjoyable as stand alone titles.

In The Holly and the Ivy by Sarah M. Eden, I loved getting to reconnect with characters from some of my favorite books. It was wonderful to get to see Lord and Lady Jonquil again, from the series The Gents. And the young Duke of Kielder is a character that comes into their lives in the first book of that series. He is also the grown man and main character of the first book that I read by this author titled, Seeking Persephone. But the main characters are his nurse, Robbie, and Mr. Simpkin, who has been hired to plan a garden at the grand home. I liked the progression of the relationship between these two. Their first meeting did not go very well, but it all improved from there! A very sweet story.

In Hiding Christmas by Esther Hatch, I liked the tension that existed between the two main characters from the very start. Kirstine finds herself in quite the situation and Isaac steps in to save the day. He also hoped their time together would provide him the opportunity to finally connect with Kirstine and share more about the time he spent on the battlefield with her brother. I really enjoyed the way Kirstine began to feel drawn toward the man she had sworn to dislike.

In A Twist of Christmas by Dana LeCheminant, I was at first concerned that I would feel awkward about this storyline. I am not usually a fan of people pretending to be other people or switching identities. Yet, this novella was actually quite charming and I ended up liking the way things moved along. The connection that the two main characters felt for each other was charming and made me feel happy for the way things worked out for them.

In A Season to Love by Anneka R. Walker, it was clear that these two main characters were perfect for each other. It just took them a bit to figure that out! I liked the way they connected in friendship almost immediately. Alice had a lot of trouble feeling worthy in comparison to her sisters and family, but I liked the way that Thomas saw her for the gem she was from the beginning. These two were quite the pair and made incorrect assumptions about what each other were feeling quite often. But things eventually resolved and headed for a happily ever after, of course.

(4 stars)

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Spend the holidays with four of your favorite historical romance authors, whose stories of Yuletide romance will brighten the season with humor, hope, and the promise of true love.

“The Holly and the Ivy” by Sarah M. Eden
As nursemaid to the eight-year-old Duke of Kielder, Robbie will spend her holidays with her young charge as a guest of Lord and Lady Jonquil. While the couple makes the child’s holiday magical, the handsome gardener works his own magic on Nurse Robbie’s heart.

“Hiding Christmas” by Esther Hatch
Celebrating Christmas in Scotland will only invite persecution. But that never stopped Kirstine’s English grandmother. When they are almost caught, Kirstine is forced to beg for the help of the one man she cannot abide.

“A Twist of Christmas” by Dana LeCheminant
A Christmas house party offers two members of the ton an irresistible opportunity: a weekend of anonymity. But their charade comes with unexpected romantic consequences.

“A Season to Love” by Anneka R. Walker
Alice Hunt is searching for a Christmas miracle: a husband of her choosing. With the threat of an arranged marriage looming, she looks to an unlikely matchmaker for help.

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CONNECT WITH THE AUTHORS

Sarah M. Eden

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Esther Hatch

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Dana LeCheminant

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Anneka R. Walker

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