Publisher: Kensington
Genre: Historical Romance
Release Date: September 28, 2021
Source: Publisher
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Sabrina Jeffries Reading Order
The reigning queens of Regency Romance return with another delightful Christmas collection of three sparkling holiday romances, as stranded travelers find merriment, mistletoe, and holiday romance awaiting at a quaint country inn…
The Unexpected Gift by Madeline Hunter
Jenna Waverly has closed her inn, anticipating a blissfully quiet Christmas, until a snowstorm brings the first of several strangers to her property. Lucas Avonwood, as charming as he is secretive, is on a mission to track down a scoundrel, but the inn’s lovely owner is giving him a more compelling reason to stay…
When We Finally Kiss Good Night by Sabrina Jeffries
When Flora Younger first met Konrad Juncker, she thought she’d found her match, only to have her hopes dashed. Konrad is now a famous playwright whose plays Flora has secretly panned in reviews. But a chance meeting in a secluded inn may help them rewrite this star-crossed romance…
When Strangers Meet by Mary Jo Putney
Kate Mcleod is shocked to find that her fellow guest in the snowbound inn is the dashing soldier who may or may not be her husband. Daniel Faringdon barely remembers that long-ago night when he rescued her from disaster, but the desire they discover now will be impossible to forget, or to ignore…
“When We Finally Kiss Good Night” (Duke Dynasty, Book 4.5) by Sabrina Jeffries
Years ago, poet Konrad Junker swept Flora Younger off her feet…then disappeared without so much as a goodbye. They’ve crossed swords the times they’ve met since then, but now, stranded at an inn during a snowstorm, Flora and Konrad finally have a chance to reconnect and see if the spark that was once between them still burns hot.
“When We Finally Kiss Good Night” is such a treat. Konrad’s long-held secret – playing the role of playwright of what are actually the Duke of Thornstock’s plays – has held him back from taking a wife and starting a family. He’s at a crossroads when he meets Flora at the White Rose Inn, and though it’s easy for him to fall for her all over again, the problem he has still remains.
It’s easy to like Konrad and Flora. Konrad is always ready to lend a hand and he has a good heart and a sense of humor. Flora is sensible and kind, willing to pitch in and not take herself too seriously, and though she was hurt by Konrad in the past she works through her problems. The two of them suit each other well and it was easy to fall into their romance. I loved the Christmas cheer Sabrina Jeffries infused in this story. From bringing traditions together to Christmas songs and merriment, this was a heartwarming story. Add in a sweet second chance romance with just a dash of spice and it’s easy to see why I found “When We Finally Kiss Good Night” to be a perfectly delightful holiday romance.
“The Unexpected Gift” by Madeline Hunter
Innkeeper Jenna Waverly is looking forward to a few days with no guests and only two servants on-hand. It’s a respite she looks forward to all year long. Then a fierce snowstorm happens, bringing her a houseful of stranded travelers. One of those travelers is a seriously ill man. Lucas Avonwood is flirtatious when feverish, so heaven help her when the man recovers…
“The Unexpected Gift” is a sweet romance. It was easy to adore Jenna – she works hard, takes care of others, and doesn’t have a moment’s hesitation of stretching what she has to take in a group of strangers in a storm. I liked her practical nature – more so because her burgeoning relationship with Lucas allows her the chance to dream of more. Lucas is a mystery at the start of the story. He’s a man on a mission, but what that mission is I’ll leave for readers to discover. Lucas is determined but honorable and when Jenna’s life becomes tangled up in his hunt, he searches for a good solution. The result is a bit too rushed and not quite believable for my taste. I liked Lucas and Jenna together so I was all for Madeline Hunter finding a solution that would give them their happily ever after (even one so speedily developed). However, it felt like Hunter took a few shortcuts to wrap things up in a tidy bow. If there had been a bit more development to make things believable it would have been nice.
“When Strangers Meet” by Mary Jo Putney
The last thing Kate expects to find when snowbound at an inn is her long-lost husband, Daniel. The man rescued her years ago when her uncle auctioned off the grieving young woman and Daniel married her to rescue her, thinking it was a sham marriage. Except it wasn’t actually a sham and now both are curious to see if perhaps that long-ago night could have been the start of something real…
“When Strangers Meet” was the most uneven story for me. I liked the premise and how Daniel and Kate were reunited after not having seen each other for seven years. The snowbound setting allowed them to drop all pretenses and I enjoyed seeing their honest conversations as they got to know one another. Kate and Daniel have an easy chemistry and if their burgeoning relationship had been given a bit more room to develop I would have really enjoyed their romance (though no amount of page time could completely make up for Mary Jo Putney’s extreme overuse of exclamation points). However, the rush to get to “I love you” and happily ever after made the last part of this novella feel stilted and unearned. Even though I wished for more development in the love story, the scene-stealing cat and the solid chemistry Kate and Daniel had made “When Strangers Meet” enjoyable overall.
A Yuletide Kiss has three stories sure to warm your heart this winter. Jeffries, Hunter, and Putney all balance yuletide cheer with their romances in their own ways. I liked that each story was unique yet they all worked as a cohesive unit to fit the setting. Sabrina Jeffries’s installment was my favorite of the lot, but if you’re a fan of any of these authors this anthology is worth reading.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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