All Hearts Come Home for Christmas Author: Anita Stansfield, Esther Hatch, Joanna Barker, Sarah M. Eden
Genres: Historical Romance, Romance Anthology
Format: Audio, eBook, Print
Pages: 304
Date: September 1, 2019
Publisher: Covenant
Four Christmas novellas.
Christmas at Falstone Castle by Sarah M. Eden
The Dowager Duchess of Kielder eagerly anticipates spending Christmas with her son and his family. Though their relationship has been strained, the duchess is determined to heal the chasm. Even with the help of the widowed local vicar, her plan will take a Christmas miracle. But during this magical season, anything is possible…even two second chances for love.
The Heart of Christmas by Anita Stansfield
When a chance meeting brings together a gentle seamstress and a widowed banker, each lonely soul finds a first hint of hope. As their lives become entwined, it will take Christmas spirit to guide a broken family to love and healing.
’Tis the Season to Be Daring by Esther Hatch
Elizabeth Davenport has had quite enough of the London Season. Determined to evade a parade of unsuitable suitors, she seeks help from the one gentleman who has no regard for Society’s rules. All of Society knows Lord Hawthorne is not interested in marriage, yet he cannot deny Miss Davenport’s unique charm. And as the Christmas season works its magic, their charade begins to feel less like playacting and more like love.
The Christmas Dress by Joanna Barker
Seamstress Nell Addington is thrilled when her childhood friend Jacob Hammond commissions a dress for his sister. But when Nell realizes her feelings for Jacob run far deeper than friendship, an unexpected snowstorm—and some holiday cheer—may convince them both that love is worth fighting for.
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About Anita Stansfield
Anita Stansfield has been a queen of romantic fiction for more than a decade. Her work has shattered the stereotypes of romance novels with her trademark ability to combine great storytelling with intense psychological depth as she focuses on the emotional struggles of the human experience.
About Joanna Barker
Joanna Barker discovered her love for historical fiction after visiting England as an eleven-year-old, and subsequently read every Jane Austen book she could get her hands on. After graduating Brigham Young University with a degree in English, she worked as an acquisitions editor before devoting herself full-time to writing. She enjoys music, chocolate, and reading everything from romance to science fiction. She lives in Utah and is just a little crazy about her husband and two wild-but-loveable boys.
About Sarah M. Eden
Sarah M. Eden read her first Jane Austen novel in elementary school and has been addicted to historical romance ever since. With a degree in research and a fascination with history, Eden loves delving deep into history. She is the author of multiple historical romances.
I have requested to read and review this book on NetGalley and am eagerly awaiting to see if I get approved. I really love all three of these authors and their books. Fingers crossed!
This might be my favorite novella collection yet. I’m always up for a Christmas collection and this included some of my favorite authors. Each of the stories were very different from each other making for a good variety.
Christmas at Falston Castle by Sarah Eden.
This might be my favorite of the collection for the simple reason that I already have a love for the Duke of Kielder. I was thrilled to get another story with him. I find him immensely amusing to read but would in fact find him terrifying in real life. Just like he would want me to be. 🙂 It is good to understand his mother better and see that she isn’t just an awful person or mother. It is a story of healing as well as sweet love story and we get a visit from everyone in the Lancaster books besides.
The Heart of Christmas by Anita Stansfield
This one was the most religiously themed of the collection. It was a little sermon within a story teaching that Christ can mend our broken parts. It also showed that the behavior of one has an effect on others and can influence them either positively or negatively (if you catagorize sadness as negative). It was perhaps a little simplistic that everyone’s hearts all turned to mending in one day but it proved the point of the story. Plus it is a novella so everything has to move more quickly. The story was slow paced with a sweet Christmas message.
Tis the Season to be Daring by Esther Hatch
I love regency era stories where characters breech from Ton Society rules and this was definitely a fun one of those. Lord Hawthorne was a delightful character and he made Elizabeth delightful as well as opposed to the dull person her mother made of her. There is nothing wrong with knitting and needlework unless you hate it and only do it because you are forced to by societal rules and your mother’s insistence. But once she was around Lord Hawthorne it became apparent that there was someone with depth and fun underneath all that. I thoroughly enjoyed the proposal scene. Found myself smiling through that one.
The Christmas Dress by Joanna Barker
This was a sweet Christmas story that was about finding peace, finding love, and finding Christmas. I enjoyed watching Jacob as he became more and more smitten with Nell. The only negative in this story for me was the author not allowing the reader to see Miss Fowler’s face when she realizes she has lost Jacob despite her conniving. I’ll have to inject that scene into the story in my own head. It is very satisfying for the vindictive side of me. But the author’s story outline probably flowed better. 🙂
No sex, language or violence
*I received a complimentary copy through Netgalley and voluntarily chose to review it.