The Heart of Christmas: WITH The Season for Suitors AND A Handful of Gold AND This Wicked Gift (Mills & Boon Special Releases) [Paperback]

Collections like "The Heart of Christmas" are a mixed blessing: Readers can sample short works by authors who are familiar or new, but the volume usually contains a mixture of good and not-so-good stories. This collection seemed like a sure winner. Mary Balough is a long-time favorite of many and Nicola Cornick has published a good series recently. I'd never heard of Courtney Milan.

Here's my verdict: I'd buy the book again. On a curl-up-in-a-chair-and-pretend-to-be-elsewhere day, the book would be just right. I'd give the collection as a whole a 3.5 out of 5.

Mary Balough's entry, "A Handful of Gold" follows a wealthy rake, Julian Dare, who decides he must give in to his family's wishes and marry a woman not of his choosing. As a last fling, he agrees to spend Christmas week with a friend, and the friend's mistress, at a hunting lodge. Since Dare has no mistress at the moment, he pays an opera dancer to accompany him. Of course, she is a lady fallen on hard times and, although she is a virgin, she agrees to the arrangement so she can pay for medical care for her ill sister. The story was irritating in a couple of ways. The blatant manipulation of the reader's emotions (bring on the Kleenex)was a bit much. In addition, the story becomes very "preachy." The heavy-handed references to the meaning of Christmas were hard to accept. Comparing the birth of Christ to a rake's paying for and bedding a virgin (even if it turns into love) is over-the-top.

Nicola Cornick's "The Season for Suitors" is an oddity. I would guess this was an early effort that she brushed off and submitted for the book. There is an amusing role reversal. Sebastian is in his 30s and everyone points out to him that he is now old. Once he holds twin infants, his biological clock begins ticking and he wants babies. Clara boldly courts him. And Sebastian, the greatest rake in London, is almost "missish" around her. In fact, she really does unman him, he says, and she must seduce him to cure his impotence. There are a number of blind alleys in the story (the blurb says she asks him to teach her about rakes, for her own safety, but that thread, along with others, disappears).

Courtney Milan definitely got my attention with "This Wicked Gift." The story is original and encompasses a wealth of subject matter in a short space. Lavinia operates her family's lending library while caring for her ill father and her rambunctious 15-year-old brother. William Q White is a subscriber to the library. He visits often in his quest for self-education--and to surreptitiously watch the lovely Lavinia--who secretly watches him. William finds a way, he thinks, to coerce Lavinia into his bed--and then hates himself for doing so. William is a bitter and angry man. He has no family, works long hours for an ogre of a boss, and is consumed by guilt. Lavinia refuses to give up on him. She has the ability to tune out the words of the ones she loves and read what their actions say, instead. Of course, William eventually becomes the man she knows he can be. She also reforms herself to become the sister she should be. The main characters are not titled or wealthy. Their lives are portrayed quite realistically and are filled with hard work, mended clothing, and weak tea (since the leaves must be used many times over). The characters were interesting and well developed, the plot was multi-layered, and there was no "misunderstanding" contrived to keep the lovers apart. Instead, there was a man who had lost faith in himself and a very determined woman who had enough faith for both of them until his intelligence (and luck)resolved their difficulties.

I read these stories on my day off, and I would recommend them to any romance reader.

For all the pros and cons of the story lines, each book is well written, and are at a decent enough length to where you can get a satisfying read.

Mary Balogh writes a solid book and has the elements of a classic regency romance. Her book comes across as meaty despite its length, and we see character development with the hero.

Nicola Cornicks offering was an enjoyable one. The heroine was definitely spirited but not a brat. My one issue was the fact that the initial storyline made no sense to me. I won't discuss it however overall it was a lighthearted read.

The last story by Milan is a departure from the sparkling romances that we seem to get. I thought that it was an awesome story because it showcased reality and the growth of the hero AND the heroine. (Well moreso the hero)

All in all, I think that this is a must have for any regency/historical romance fan. Each story stands on its own, and is different from the next one so I felt that I got my moneys worth.

Typical Mary Balogh, but she has written better stories. I've read many of them.

The Nicola Cornick story was all right--the plot was convoluted, but a little light Christmas romance reading, so it was fine. I've read a few of her novels, and I'm never sure if I like them or not.

I saved the Courtney Milan story for last, because I didn't think it sounded as appealing, and I didn't know who she was. What a great surprise! I quickly became invested in the characters and stayed up late reading the story. What a wonderful short story.

The book is worth buying for the Courtney Milan story, but I wasn't impressed with the other two.