Regency Christmas Gifts: Three Stories

"Regency Christmas Gifts" is a collection of three stories by Carla Kelly. In “The Lasting Gift”, sailing master Thomas Jenkins is tired of retirement and looking for a distraction when Mary Ann Poole and her daughter Beth arrive on his doorstep to return a package delivered to her by mistake. Taken by the mother and daughter, Thomas decides to brighten their Christmas and maybe even his own life in the process. In “Faithfully Yours” Sally Wilson has been writing to John McPherson ever since he left Scotland years ago to make his fortune. Now that he has returned she is eager to see him, except he thinks it was the rich and beautiful Margaret who has been writing to him, or does he? In the final tale, “Lucy’s Bang-up Christmas”, Lucinda Danforth is facing her first Christmas without her mother. While the rest of her family is focused on her sister’s upcoming marriage, it is her second cousin Miles Bledsoe who has come to Lucy’s rescue as they seek to honor Lucy’s mother by helping a war widow and her children.

A wonderful clean collection of romances set in historical England, all three short stories are equally fun for a rainy day. “The Lasting Gift” has strong characters with a bit of depth and a building romance that will keep the reader’s attention. “Faithfully Yours” is a sweet tale that focuses mostly on the backstory with the romance already established. Still the plot is fun as is the karma that comes back around to Margaret. “Lucy’s Bang-up Christmas” is an emotionally deep tale that really should be a full novel, as many of the ideas are unable to be fully explored in the short story. Still, it’s a tale worthy of the Hallmark channel. Altogether, a sweet fluffy read.

Sarah E Bradley