Meet Me Under the Kissing Bough
We wish you a merry Christmas and a happily ever after! This special holiday historical romance anthology featuring three heartwarming novellas proves that no matter the obstacles, ’tis the season for love.
Meet Me under the Kissing Bough
by Josi S. Kilpack
Deborah Winfrey hasn’t had the heart to host a holiday party since her husband’s death. But this Christmas, it’s time to move forward. The festivities bring renewed life to her home, and the attentions of two very different men promise a chance at new love.
Healing Hearts for the Holidays
by Anneka R. Walker
Julia Hunt is strictly forbidden from associating with the family in the nearby manor—including the handsome younger son, Esmond, who quickly steals her heart. With Christmas around the corner, an old bundle of hidden love letters may be the key to her own happily ever after.
A Christmas Correspondence
by Sarah L. McConkie
In this novella inspired by the timeless tale A Christmas Carol, John Charleston finds himself on an unexpected journey in the company of the insufferable Lady Caroline Morleigh. But the magic of the season has a way of softening even the hardest of hearts.
2.5
-Meet Me Under the Kissing Bough
Deborah's situation is
less common as she is an older woman with children that are nearly
grown. I appreciated that as a mother, it was not as simple as choosing
for herself; she had to consider the effects on her children and their
futures. Her relationship with her mother was complicated as well.
Phillip... bugged me. He was not patient with her, but it was like he
expected an immediate public commitment. What was worse, he accused her
of using him, not trusting him, being fickle. He tried to beg off
instead of working through the problems. I didn't think Deborah did
anything wrong. This was brand new, of course she was still taking it
slow, exploring her feelings and weighing them against her
responsibilities. They did not have an agreement in place, and again it
was BRAND NEW - she didn't owe him an explanation regarding someone
else's action. And while I wouldn't have handled it publicly as she did,
I didn't think he could possibly find fault with her for that. I really
wanted to give him a piece of my mind.
-Healing Hearts for the Holidays
It
was really sad to see things had regressed since we had last seen these
characters. There was some awkwardness, a fair amount of tension and a
lot of rehashing things I thought had already been dealt with.
-A Christmas Correspondence
I
could not stomach Caroline. She was not just rude, but relentless
malicious. I have read my fair share of unlikeable characters, which are
actually some of my favorite stories, but this was something else
entirely. It wasn't misguided, or sticking your foot in your mouth, or
like the veiled barbs of the arrogant, usually wrapped up in deceptively
sweet demeanor. It wasn't absurd and humorously done. It didn't even
really make sense based on the prologue. Caroline seems to tolerate her
father words, not invite them into her very being. She is hurting and
silently obeys to escape. He dies not long after that opening scene, so
how in the world did she become such a harpy?! I also did not understand
the whole letter situation. It seems like her father expected them to
be delivered to her fairly soon. Why would a child need to be threatened
with their inheritance? I don't know. The changes of heart for both
Caroline and her father were too abrupt to be believed.
These are usually some of my favorite authors. Unfortunately I just did not connect with these stories.
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