A Victorian Christmas by Catherin Palmer

Rounding out my Christmas book reviews is this collection of stories set in, you've guessed it, the Victorian era. There are four novellas in total, so here are my thoughts, story by story. Happy reading, and Merry Christmas everyone!

Angel in the Attic - This was, strange. It basically stars two people - Lena and Hyatt, who don't want to get married. But after they meet under odd circumstances (neither knows the other is the person they're running away), they fall in love. It would be a sweet story, except that I don't understand how Lena fell in love. Hyatt's reasons were crystal clear, but for Lena to fall in love, I'm going to need more than someone telling me that he is smart, witty, listens to her, etc. But the proposal scene was cool.

Lone Star - A Texas gal meets a British Viscount. Unfortuately, she's due to marry his younger brother. His younger brother Rupert, by the way, is thoroughly unlikable. Who on earth cheats before his marriage? (Don't tell me, I don't want to know). He didn't deserve his happy ending. Star and the viscount Grey though, deserved theirs, they're a really cute couple.

Under His Wings - Clearly a re-telling of Ruth, only this time, the "Ruth: character is really really reluctant. And from Wales. Yes there's an earl involved (so far all three stories involve nobility don't they?) and she changes him for the better. The whole "social impropriety" thing did add another layer to the story though, I thought it made it a bit more realistic. The ending was predictable (you can't stray too far from the book of Ruth after all), but I did wish some of the villians got more or a comupttence.

Behold The Lamb - Yes, nobility makes an appearance, but here, the ordinary people of the Victorian era appear! Sadly, there's very little description about this, it's really mostly a nobility thing. It does, however, have a really sweet redemption story, and a message on how we're all sinners, and that there's no such thing as a "worse sin". The couple here - Rosalind and Nick, are probably the sweetest couple, because I love the  echoes of Elizabeth and Darcy type of interaction.

At the end of each story, there is a recipe of one of the foods mention. It's a sweet touch, and if you like this sort of thing, rejoice! If you don't, just skip it.

Note: This is where I normally say something like "I'm going to have a break! See you Next Year" or something like that, but this year, I don't know. It's the first time I'm spending Christmas alone after all. So, depending on what level of depressed I am, I may or may not post tomorrow. If I'm at the normal depressed level of a sane person, I'll be at Church the whole day (all lonely people are invited to hang out together). If I'm in a pity-party, I'll spend the whole day sleeping and reading and sleeping and reading, and will probably post in the night.