The Fairy Godmother - Lynsay Sands (10*) - Roswald Keep, England, 1324 --- Lady Odel Roswald watched the sarchophagus settle over her fathers burial vault and just stood there, feeling nothing and wondering what she should be doing next. That her father had never shown her any feelings of affection, her grief was non-existent. Fortunately, she hadn't been alone very long when a round, little gray haired lady came rolling bursting upon her - a woman Odel would later discover was her fairy godmother whose sole purpose was to find Odel a husband. The problem was, in Odel's experience in dealing with a man, particularly the miserly and totally miserable one that was her father, she finally felt free and wanted no part of men - ever!
*** Typical Lynsay Sands brilliance in creating unique characters with humor and passion - total fun read!
A Midnight Clear - Lisa Cach (10*) -- Ooooh, this was so sweet, I'm still wiping the tears from my eyes! When Catherine Linwood had come home for the holidays to her hometown of Woodbridge, Vermont she wasn't sure what she would find that would still be familiar. She had gone off some years ago to Mt. Holyoke College, then spent time with her very wealthy Aunt who showed her a different type of society in New York and the capitals of Europe. She didn't think she'd changed, but home was familiar and when her very wealthy and very handsome suitor, Mr. Rose followed her home she was confidant that he would be the one yet questioned how she would know if it was love. But a wish upon the first snow, from her sister Amy, brought her the things she most needed that Christmas. A pair of spectacles with a cryptic message
See far,
And see near,
But let your heart's
Sight be clear
With a little bit of help, Catherine just might see what was beneath her nose in the quiet unassuming, and very kind Will Goodman, owner of the general store had to offer her.
*** Just loved every sweet morsel of this sweetly romantic homecoming love story!
Angels We Have Heard on High - Amy Elizabeth Saunders (9*) -- This again was a delightful story just made for the holiday season of the magic that seems to settle in around the holiday season. Set in Black Diamond, Washington, 1889 - Rose Shanahan, widowed, eight months pregnant and with two other small children had been asked to vacate her shanty coal miners cabin now that her husband was no longer alive and working the mines. Things couldn't have been worse with little food, little coal to burn and threadbare clothing barely keeping them warm. When young Daniel, decided that their last night would be a warm, he snuck off to steal some extra coal from the mine causing a series of events that brought the mine owner, Joshua Asher, into their lives and proved once again that God works in mysterious ways.... *** Heartwarming and should bring tears to even the eyes of the most skeptical who don't believe in miracles.
Here Comes Santa Claus - Stobie Piel (9*) - Ariana and Taran, two of St. Nicholas' most imaginative elves, were both trying to convince St. Nicholas that one or the other had to be let go. Both were immensely attracted to one another, yet for one reason or another their attraction ended up as a fierce competition between their toymaking abilities. More importantly, their rivalry was causing disruptions in the production of toys for Christmas and St. Nicholas decided they would both be sent back to the place of their birth to redeem themselves by doing a good deed and solving a problem which they would have to discover existed. The biggest problem of all would be for the both of them to work together without killing one another first! --- *** Sweetly sensual tale of elfin matchmaking.
*** Published in 2000 this is one of those really great feel good anthologies that is heartwarming, sweet, and just a superb read for sitting cozily by the fire!! --- Marilyn, for www.historicalromancewriters.com ---
