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Jen Davis's Reviews > Mistletoe Christmas: An Anthology
Mistletoe Christmas: An Anthology
by
by
This book features a collection of stories that all take place against the backdrop of the Duke of Greystoke’s Christmas Revelry....
"Mistletoe Christmas" by Eloisa James is the first short in this anthology and tells the story of the Duke's daughter, Cressenda, who is the actual architect behind the party, even though her father claims all the glory for the exclusive affair. The Duke is selfish and awful (and dying.) He's pushed Cressie to make the party the centerpiece of her life, forcing her to miss out on a real season or a chance to find a husband. He has even given away her dowry in an effort to bribe his heir to keep the party going after his death. And just when she'd given up hope, Elias (friend to the aforementioned heir) decides to make her his wife.
This is definitely an instalove story. In just a matter of hours, Elias goes from seeing her as a frumpy nobody to a woman he can't live without. Of course, Cressie has trouble believing him. No one has ever wanted her. It's kind of sad. And this romance moves really fast. But James does a good job setting up this great party and Cressie as a character. Elias... not so much. But I guess it was enough that he was handsome and saw value in Cressie when no one else did.
It was... ok.
I liked the second story, "Wishing Under the Mistletoe" by Christi Caldwell, a bit more. I find that short stories work better for me when the hero and heroine already have a history. Here, Isabelle and Cyrus are reunited 10 years after they broke off their engagement. The son of a servant, Cyrus was more focused on making money than his fiancee, and as the granddaughter of a duke, she couldn't see outside of her own life experiences to understand why.
Fate (or maybe some well meaning loved ones) throw them together on a project for the Revelry and all their old feelings come rushing back. I felt like Cyrus was a bit more in the wrong in their past than Isabelle was, and she had to do a little more work to give them their HEA, but overall, I enjoyed the journey. (Like I said before, class differences are like catnip for me.)
"Compromise Under the Mistletoe" by Janna MacGregor was another second chance at love story, and it echoed the previous story a little. Unlike Isabelle and Cyrus, Stephen and Caroline are married, but estranged. She left him a year earlier because (like Cyrus) he was inattentive and too focused on his work. Other than their time in the bedroom, he treated her like an afterthought. They reunite at the Revelry so she can try to convince the duke to release her trust early. The only catch... she and Stephen have to convince the old man they are a happy couple first.
It rang a little hollow for me after reading such a similar-themed story right before it. And like Isabelle, Caro takes on some of the blame for their problems, though Stephen was clearly more in the wrong.
Meh.
"Mischief & Mistletoe" by Erica Ridley was probably my favorite of the short stories. It followed Louisa, a closet-poet with a mother bent on securing her an adventitious match at the party. Ewan is known as a poet, but it's actually just a cover story so he can do his real work as a gossip writer for his grandfather's newspaper. I'm not a big fan of a big secret trope, but I did like the dynamic between the hero and heroine. Plus, I almost always prefer a hero in trade to a lord.
Overall, a solid collection of historical shorts.
"Mistletoe Christmas" by Eloisa James is the first short in this anthology and tells the story of the Duke's daughter, Cressenda, who is the actual architect behind the party, even though her father claims all the glory for the exclusive affair. The Duke is selfish and awful (and dying.) He's pushed Cressie to make the party the centerpiece of her life, forcing her to miss out on a real season or a chance to find a husband. He has even given away her dowry in an effort to bribe his heir to keep the party going after his death. And just when she'd given up hope, Elias (friend to the aforementioned heir) decides to make her his wife.
This is definitely an instalove story. In just a matter of hours, Elias goes from seeing her as a frumpy nobody to a woman he can't live without. Of course, Cressie has trouble believing him. No one has ever wanted her. It's kind of sad. And this romance moves really fast. But James does a good job setting up this great party and Cressie as a character. Elias... not so much. But I guess it was enough that he was handsome and saw value in Cressie when no one else did.
It was... ok.
I liked the second story, "Wishing Under the Mistletoe" by Christi Caldwell, a bit more. I find that short stories work better for me when the hero and heroine already have a history. Here, Isabelle and Cyrus are reunited 10 years after they broke off their engagement. The son of a servant, Cyrus was more focused on making money than his fiancee, and as the granddaughter of a duke, she couldn't see outside of her own life experiences to understand why.
Fate (or maybe some well meaning loved ones) throw them together on a project for the Revelry and all their old feelings come rushing back. I felt like Cyrus was a bit more in the wrong in their past than Isabelle was, and she had to do a little more work to give them their HEA, but overall, I enjoyed the journey. (Like I said before, class differences are like catnip for me.)
"Compromise Under the Mistletoe" by Janna MacGregor was another second chance at love story, and it echoed the previous story a little. Unlike Isabelle and Cyrus, Stephen and Caroline are married, but estranged. She left him a year earlier because (like Cyrus) he was inattentive and too focused on his work. Other than their time in the bedroom, he treated her like an afterthought. They reunite at the Revelry so she can try to convince the duke to release her trust early. The only catch... she and Stephen have to convince the old man they are a happy couple first.
It rang a little hollow for me after reading such a similar-themed story right before it. And like Isabelle, Caro takes on some of the blame for their problems, though Stephen was clearly more in the wrong.
Meh.
"Mischief & Mistletoe" by Erica Ridley was probably my favorite of the short stories. It followed Louisa, a closet-poet with a mother bent on securing her an adventitious match at the party. Ewan is known as a poet, but it's actually just a cover story so he can do his real work as a gossip writer for his grandfather's newspaper. I'm not a big fan of a big secret trope, but I did like the dynamic between the hero and heroine. Plus, I almost always prefer a hero in trade to a lord.
Overall, a solid collection of historical shorts.
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Reading Progress
October 17, 2021
–
Started Reading
October 17, 2021
– Shelved
March 10, 2022
–
Finished Reading
