[.ca] Under the Mistletoe (ISBN 0451223454)

Sweet and light reading...:
Christmas is just for children, God's children, that is. In these five, four classic and one new, stories, Mary Balough reminds her readers that the true gift of Christmas is love. A shaky marriage is almost broken by a loss, then mended by the same thing. Lonely hearts are pried open to let love in, families are patched together, and children tie lost souls together. ** These stories are quickly read, and lightweight, but with a sweet profoundness. You can read them all at once or just have one at a time for a mental snack. Fans will enjoy them.** Reviewed by Amanda Killgore.

something old and new:
Every holiday season I always purchase the regency christmas novella and each year, it is with mixed results that I finish. Some of the stories are interesting, good and just plain bad. I ususally like Mary Balough's stories. I had read 3 of the 5 before, so I was okay with buying it. Sometimes I feel the authors of these short stories do not complete them. It always seems an extra page would do to complete the story. For instance, in The Star of Bethlehem, was Estelle pregnant or not? Why leave it up in the air. In "The Best Gift", I enjoyed this story but what happens? Yes, the Viscount will marry Jane and keep Veronica, but they were both born on the wrong side of the blanket so were they accepted by society and his family? Even just a paragraph describing their chistmas 5 years down the line would have helped. I enjoyed "A Family Christmas" best. I like the Cit and the Noble family intermarrying but more could have been made of the class difference. All in all, not terrible.

Too much Christmas sweetness:
This is a collection of 5 short stories by Balogh - one completely new and four published in previous Christmas collections. I liked them all - but definitely felt I had overdosed on Christmas cheer and symbolism. Too much holly, ivy, mistletoe, snow, snow fights, snow angels, sledding, etc. I began to feel like Scrooge and almost uttered an exasperated, 'humbug'. Perhaps here in the nearly 40 degree heat of an Australian Christmas I was not happy to read of snow and wrapping up in ultra-warm clothes. No, it was just too much of everything, including the overt messages of reconciliation and redeeming love. I would have enjoyed the stories individually, but together I was going into sugar shock. The best tale was the new one - 'A Family Christmas', a story of an arranged marriage between Edwin, the son of a 'Cit' and Elizabeth, the daughter of needy aristocracy. The hero and heroine were sympathetically drawn and each point of view presented realistically and individually. No obvious siding with the female point of view, or that of the 'worthy' son of the unpretentious. Not only was their realization of mutual love touchingly portrayed, but the growth of Elizabeth into herself was well done. She felt able and strong enough to make a stand for her life and self in opposing her overforceful mother. The next three all had charm, but were not nearly so good. 'The Star of Bethlehem' - a story of a marriage going wrong, saved by the loss of a precious engagement ring and the appearance of a climbing boy. 'The Best Gift' - the story of a teacher being drawn into the new relationship between a pupil and her uncle. 'Playing House' - the renewal of an old romance between the father of a lonely, young girl and the orphaned eldest daughter of a family contemplating their parting at Christmas. However, the last,- No Room At the Inn, annoyed me profoundly. The teeth-grindingly allegorical nature of paralelling the birth of a child to a poor, unmarried couple forced to seek shelter in dreadful weather at an isolated inn, was more than too much. The smug vicar/doctor holding off his help regarding the imminent birth, to bring out the best in the other occupants of the inn, made me angry instead of touched. Child birth in this era was definitely not something to be taken lightly. Probably better to read these over a long period of time and not all at once.

Mary Balogh is the best Regency author!:
I know that if you read Regencies, you must recognize Mary Balogh is really one of the best writers of this genre. She writes with so much soul and class that it places her far above other Regency authors. I am certain I have read everything she has ever published and have her books stored away. Therefore, it's a lot easier to buy a new, albeit recycled version of her stories than it is to dig out the old ones. I thoroughly enjoyed this anthology and was surprised that I did not remember all of the stories. Yes, they're brief...and resolution comes quickly, but that's the nature of an anthology collection. I think if you're a huge Mary Balogh fan, you will enjoy this. And buy it...so she can continue to write the type of Regencies we crave!

Light-hearted Christmas fare:
Five Regency Christmas stories, one original and four previously published, are contained in this collection by Mary Balogh. I consider Mary one of the best writers in her genre. Her stories are character driven rather than plot driven. I alternated read one of the Christmas stories with other books so I would no be overwhelmed with all the Christmas good cheer. I worked out nicely. All the stories are good, but the first and only original story in the book is the best one. Fans of Mary Balogh won't be disappointed and new fans will be in for a treat.