Romance

Some things just mean Christmas. It might be preparing a special meal or dessert, or it might be curling up with a Small Person to watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the cartoon, not the abominable Jim Carrey version). One of my latest holiday rituals is pulling out my dog-eared copy of this anthology, originally…

As cynical as it may sound, stories tend to become cheesy when they incorporate a Christmas theme. It’s therefore refreshing to come across an anthology that manages to be an original paean to the season. Naughty or Nice is, for the most part at least, charming, romantic, and h-h-hot.

As you may have guessed from the title, this anthology features a quartet of medieval knights, all of whom have made a vow of some sort. For one it’s a vow to protect damsels in distress; for another, it’s a vow of fealty to an overlord. Still another has promised his dying mother he would…

Well, the title of this anthology perfectly summed up my feelings. One story was hot, and the other three were bothersome Still, one keeper in an anthology is not too bad, and Lori Foster’s story Luring Lucy is not only hot, it’s darn good too.

Lynn Kurland’s current release, Love Came Just In Time, is a compilation of four previously published novellas, two of which have appeared in collections already reviewed here. The overall tone is sugary-sweet and light on the credibility, with humor that flip-flops between genuine and forced. Yet the final story breaks this mold, which brings the…

The stories in this anthology are linked by their Scottish setting, but are otherwise very diverse, with contemporary, historical, time-travel, paranormal, and Christmas elements.

I like to think of anthologies of this sort, all of whose Christmas-themed stories have appeared in other collections, as kind of like a government-surplus auction. In order to get something good, you’ve got to accept a white elephant or two.

Secrets of a Perfect Night is a true rarity for me; I actually wanted to read it because I liked every author. Usually there’s at least one unknown quantity or an author that’s not a real favorite. But I’ve read and enjoyed all three of these authors’ books before, and happily, I found these stories…

All I Want For Christmas is my first romance anthology. It offers a good sampling of styles and something for every taste: Western, European Historical, Contemporary, old lovers and new.