A Christmas To Remember by Lisa Kleypas, Lorraine Heath, Megan Frampton, and Vivienne Lorret
Anthology, Historical Romance, Holiday
Released September 26, 2017
Avon

Reviewed by Tori

As the holiday season draw near, readers will find themselves with numerable romances from which to choose from as authors weave their magic and create seasonal stories brimming with love, loss, laughter, and redemption. A Christmas to Remember anthology is one such offering. Comprised of the above stated qualities,  in here four well known historical romance authors come together to to kick off the holidays season by offering readers four lovely petite holiday niblets.

**Readers should know that all four stories are previously published.**

I Will by Lisa Kleypas is a reissue from the anthology A Historical Christmas Present (2008). Fans of her Capitol Theater series will remember Lord Drake (Andrew), the brother of Logan Scott (Because You’re Mine, #2), as a reprobate who has spent his life drinking, gambling, and carousing without a care in the world. When Andrew learns his father has written him out of his will due to his reckless lifestyle, he decides to fake cleaning up his act by courting one of the most respectable women he knows.-Miss Caroline Hargrave-a shelf sitting bluestocking and the sister of his best friend. Caroline can’t stand Lord Drake and he knows it but a small matter of blackmail pus her right here he wants her though as Andrew soon learns, nothing is more unpredictable than a woman and love.

This novella is a delightfully amusing and sensually antagonistic romance that brings together two former enemies for the holiday season. Though short in length, Kleypas’ writes a full bodied story filled with witty characters, engaging dialogue, and a bit of a dark twist that helps our couple admit their true feelings.

Deck the Halls With Love by Lorraine Heath-The Marquess of Chetwyn (Alistair Wakefield) never meant to hurt the woman he loved but family and guilt forced his hand. When he wises up and decides to do the right thing, he fears it may be too late. Lady Meredith Hargreaves’ heart was broken when Chetwyn proposed to another woman. Though he is now free, she is not and is set to marry by Christmas. Chetwyn knows he and Meredith are destined for one another and sets out to prove his everlasting love once to her and for all.

Lorraine Heath shares this lovely reissue from her Lost Lords of Pembrook series (2012). This is the Marquess of Chetwyn’s story of how he won his bride. This wayward suiter and skeptical heroine provide plenty of laughter in this sweet and humorous second chance romance that focuses on love, loss, and most importantly, forgiveness in this holiday season. I do wish it had been further developed.

No Groom at the Inn by Megan Frampton-James Archer, an antiquity buyer with a wanderlust spirit has had enough of his mother’s matchmaking schemes. When she accepts an invite for both of them to a week long house party at Christmas with eligible young women, James lies to his mother, telling her he is already engaged. Now he must produce a fiancee and fast. Enter Lady Sophronia Bettesford. James approaches Sophronia and offers her the deal of a lifetime; play his fiancee for one month and he will see her settled and independent. James and Sophronia may have started out pretending but soon their pact of lies turns to a pact of love.

Megan Frampton’s historical romances are enjoyable intelligent romps with strong characters, witty narrative, and inventive storylines. This same titled reissue from the Dukes Behaving Badly series (2015)  follows that pattern with an engaging couple whose amusing meet cute soon becomes an intense connection of the head, heart, and soul. Frampton does an excellent job of evolving their relationship from acquaintance to love in allotted time span. Combustible chemistry and personable secondary characters only add to the overall appeal.

The Duke’s Christmas Wish by Vivienne Lorret- Ivy Sutherland is determined to help her best friend find a groom in order in order to collect her inheritance. Even if that means setting her up with handsome but methodical Duke of Vale. Science solves everything, at least Vale thinks so and has invented a formula for Marriage to prove it. Only, the more time Vale spends with Miss Sutherland, the more he realises that his formula is missing one important ingredient-love.

Vivienne Lorret’s first in her Season’s Original series and a reissue from 2015-All I Want for Christmas is a Duke Anthology-is a charming historical geek romance whose heroine was the shining star of the story. Her exuberant personality and amusing dialogue had me giggling as she seeks to teach a man set on removing emotion from the marriage mart that emotion is the only thing that matters.

All in all a well written collection of unique and enjoyable holiday romances. My one concern is that there isn’t any notification anywhere these are all previously published stories. Some may find that annoying should they have already read them in their original settings.

Grade: B

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