Price: $7.99
In this collection of five Christmas-themed stories, beloved author Mary Balogh brings together tales of love, marriage, friendship, loneliness, and healing.
Includes four Balogh holiday classics, The Star of Bethlehem, The Best Gift, Playing House, and No Room At the Inn, as well as A Family Christmas, which is only available in this anthology.
Features
- ISBN13: 9780451219794
- Condition: New
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User Reviews
I enjoyed this book and the various stories in it. It was a delight for a Sunday afternoon. -- Under the Misltetoe
In this anthology of five short stories by Mary Balough we are treated to recurring themes of discovering love in places you never expected (like with your current spouse), the meaning of the nativity story and the delights of standing under mistletoe. Somehow despite the redundancy of some plot elements each story manages to be touching and romantic in its own original way.
My favorite tale was "The Best Gift" where a school teacher who has never experienced Christmas is taken in by a Lord to chaperone his teenage niece and, much to his surprise, also became caretaker to his young daughter. This story was both heart wrenching and sweet. I didn't even mind that it made me cry a little. Even if I hadn't enjoyed the other stories (which I did) this one would have made the entire book worthwhile.
The last story "No Room At the Inn" was probably my least favorite being a little heavy handed with the religious overtone and parallels. Although I liked it the least, it was still an interesting read in that it brought together many different people who had to all learn to interact and work together towards a common goal.
Altogether a very seasonal and Christmacy romance anthology that I enjoyed very much. I'll certainly keep an eye out for more historical romances by this author in the future. -- Happy Holiday Anthology!
I think that Mary Balogh is probably the best author currently writing Regency Romances. In a hugely overcrowded genre her books stand out because of their characterisation, insights into human nature, depictions of scarred and damaged people finding healing and, important to me, the good attention to historicity.
Under the Mistletoe is an excellent example of Balogh's work in short-story form. Although an author who can write truly sublime stories sometimes she gets it wrong and produces something rather underwhelming (I can think of three of the 'Slightly' series and 'No Man's Mistress' as examples of these). And this collection has four excellent stories and one so-so, thus a good example of how she can write!
This book is a collection of stories that were published separately previously in anthologies and it's a great opportunity to read them all together although it does also highlight some of the similarities in the stories; they're probably best read one at a time with a couple of days in between to truly appreciate them.
"A Family Christmas" deals with the estrangement between the newlyweds Mr Chambers and Mrs Chambers. She was given in marriage to him, the son of a Cit, by her titled parents in order to restore their fortunes. Mr Chambers has been living in London for all but the first two weeks of their marriage and Elizabeth is living in his country estate with her 3 month old son and, very unfortunately for her, her domineering and overbearing mother. Elizabeth's mother looks down on Mr Chambers as his fortune comes from trade and Elizabeth fears that he despises her for marrying for money and yet as the Christmas season progresses they both find that they may have been mistaken in each other.
"The Star of Bethlehem" deals with another failed marriage where Estelle and her husband the Earl of Lisle have been miscommunicating for their entire marriage, two years. The Star is the engagement ring that Allan, the Earl, gave to Estelle and yet when she loses the ring she fears she has lost all chance of ever being reconciled to Allan. It takes a thieving chimney sweep and the Christmas season to allow them to see each other truly for the first time.
"The Best Gift" is the story of Jane Craggs, illegitimate schoolteacher who has never experienced Christmas in her 23 years. Expecting to spend the Christmas season at the school where she teaches she finds herself called on to be companion for one of her pupils, Deborah, whose parents are away and who thus will have to spend Christmas with her uncle, Viscount Buckley. The Viscount is appalled that he has to deal with Deborah and more so when he arrives home with Deborah and Miss Craggs in tow to find his illegitimate four-year-old daughter at his house - her mother has died and she has been sent to him. Yet somehow the four mis-matched people come together to create a proper Christmas and Jane is determined that the Viscount keep his daughter with him and not send her away so that young Veronica doesn't have a life like Jane did, devoid of love. But Jane gets rather more than she bargains for.
"Playing House" is a story of childhood love that was separated by circumstances. When Stephen's older brother died unexpectedly he became heir to the Marquess of Bedford and found himself courted and feted, marrying a woman who turned out to be heartless and with no fidelity. When his wife dies Stephen eventually has to take care of his daughter, Dora, and returns to his country home for the first time in six years to try and give her a genuine Christmas. However he almost instantly finds his childhood sweetheart Lilias on his doorstep asking for help and thinks she is out to catch herself a Marquess. Stephen's suspicion and Lilias' dismay that her warm and friendly companion has become a cold and remote man make it very uncomfortable for them when thrown together and yet Dora and Lilias' younger siblings help to bring them together as they begin to understand what each means to the other.
The fifth story, "No Room at the Inn" is the disappointment. We see a group of eight people snowed in at an Inn and an ill-assorted group they are. When a young unmarried woman needs somewhere to give birth she and her man are given the stable to sleep in as they aren't 'quality' but as the baby starts to be born the people in the Inn see things rather differently. There's a rather unlikely new romance in the story, a married couple re-engaging with each other and a mysterious character bringing the people to a new understanding of themselves. The device of the baby almost being born in a stable felt too clumsy to me and the story overall just didn't work.
With the exception of the last story these are all very charming tales that I will want to read again. Perhaps they are rather over-sentimental about Christmas in a rather cheesily American manner, perhaps there is rather too much repetition of events (partly because the stories weren't originally collected together) but it's still a great read and a great introduction to Mary Balogh if you are new to her. -- Four excellent and one so-so Christmas-themed short stories
"A Family Christmas" opens this holiday anthology in perfect regency style. Elizabeth Chambers has been overpowered all of her life by her mother's strong personality and this Christmas starts out as no exception. Lady Templar has every inclination to control Elizabeth's household until Elizabeth's husband, Edwin Chambers, unexpectedly returns home to celebrate his first Christmas with his estranged wife. Love will be a powerful force for "A Family Christmas".
Mary Balogh's story of an arranged marriage blossoming into a real marriage is beautiful. Readers will enjoy watching Elizabeth begin standing up for herself rather than letting Lady Templar continue controlling her. Their battle allows for some very tense moments but these only enhance and emphasize the other picture perfect Christmas moments. "A Family Christmas" is sweetly sensual and truly showcases the heart of the holiday season as the love between Elizabeth and Edwin has a chance to flourish and shine through.
"The Star of Bethlehem" focuses on the marriage of the Earl of Lisle to Estelle. In a fit of anger, Estelle tossed her ring, affectionately dubbed The Star of Bethlehem, at Allan. Now, the ring is lost and it appears their marriage is as well. However, the arrival of a young apprentice chimney sweeper will soon change all of their lives.
"The Star of Bethlehem" is a magical tale demonstrating the power of love and forgiveness to conquer all. The character of Nicky, the apprentice chimney sweeper, is essential for the story to work as he softens the sharp edges of Estelle and makes her likeable. Mary Balogh demonstrates her gift at transporting readers back to a time long past with this precious story.
"The Best Gift" brings together a lonely teacher, a student, a viscount who hates Christmas, and an illegitimate child as they create an unforgettable Christmas. Jane Craggs is thrilled when Viscount Buckley requests her assistance at chaperoning his niece. However, he didn't expect the surprise awaiting him when he realizes his daughter, Veronica, has been sent to him as her mother is gone. See what "The Best Gift" really is in this tale.
"The Best Gift" has some rather charming moments. The overall relationship that develops between Jane, Viscount Buckley, Veronica, and Deborah is sweet and brings out the best in each of these characters. However, the concept did seem a bit contrived as it felt to me that the romance happened too suddenly and I grew a bit tired of the "plain Jane" inferences. This could be my ignorance of the genre as historical regency romances are not generally my reading choice. Regardless, "The Best Gift" is worth reading.
"Playing House" begins with Lilias Angrove's request that the Marquess of Bedford fulfill an old "debt" simply by providing her sister and brother with a Christmas goose and a doll. Stephen thinks Lilias is after his money but he is in for the surprise of his life as his daughter, Dora, helps him recover the true spirit of Christmas.
"Playing House" depicts the sharp contrast between the wealthy and the poor. Mary Balogh does a fabulous job at creating a very infuriating character in Stephen. At times, I was so angry at Stephen that I wanted to reach into the book to slap the arrogance right off of his face! Lilias carried herself with dignity and it was heartwarming to see her not allowing poverty to diminish her Christmas spirit. "Playing House" is a darker tale than any of the others in UNDER THE MISTLETOE and yet the beauty of Christmas brings light into the story, making it a real joy to read.
No Room at the Inn concludes this anthology by returning to the real meaning of Christmas. A group of weary travelers find themselves trapped at a dismal inn due to the heavy rainstorms. The arrival of a very pregnant Lisa Curtis and the expectant father, Tom Suffield, will change everything when there is "No Room at the Inn".
"No Room at the Inn" harkens back to the classic biblical basis for the Christmas holiday. I was angered at the insufferable attitudes of several of the wealthy individuals at the inn, but the actions of Sally and Pamela kept the story focused more on the positives. I find it a bit difficult to believe that none of the inn visitors immediately saw the correlation to the birth of Jesus but the overall powerful impact of the story makes "No Room at the Inn" a must read.
UNDER THE MISTLETOE is a delightful collection of five Christmas stories by Mary Balogh. Ms. Balogh has a gift at evoking powerful emotions so be forewarned as you will laugh, cry, and even scream at some of the moments found in this anthology. However, through each and every story is the overriding joy found through love and forgiveness. UNDER THE MISTLETOE is a perfect collection of tales for the Christmas season!
COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES -- Nice Christmas Anthology....
My only issue with anthologies is that just when you are getting into it, and falling in love with the characters and their story, it all comes to an abrupt end! That never seemed more true than with this anthology. I loved each and every one of these stories and fell in love with the characters that brought them to life. I wanted to know more about them and I wanted their stories to go on and on. One thing I love about Mary Balogh is how true to the period she is, the manners and customs of 'the Ton' and society. She didn't stray one iota and it's very refreshing. What's more, even though the stories were told separately, there was a point where it felt as though the characters each could be experiencing the same Christmas simultaniously, they blended so well. Thank you, Ms. Balogh. -- Simply Beautiful Christmas Stories
