Blog tour: Carla Kelly's Christmas Collection

Carla Kelly's Christmas Collection by Carla Kelly

Historical holiday romance

Paperback/eBook, 179 pages

Published (first published October 5th 2011)

Come explore Regency London with Carla Kelly! 

This collection features four stories that will warm your heart with Christmas cheer: "The Christmas Ornament," "Make a Joyful Noise," "An Object of Charity," and "The Three Kings." Filled with romance and a touch of humor, these stories are sure to find a place in your heart and remind you that Christmas is a time for love.

Purchase: Kindle | Amazon paperback

Carla Kelly

Award-winning author Carla Kelly is a veteran of the New York and international publishing world. The author of more than thirty novels and novellas for Donald I. Fine Co., Signet, and Harlequin, Carla is the recipient of two Rita Awards (think Oscars for romance writing) from Romance Writers of America and two Spur Awards (think Oscars for western fiction) from Western Writers of America.
Recently, she’s been writing Regency romances (think Pride and Prejudice) set in the Royal Navy’s Channel Fleet during the Napoleonic Wars between England and France. She comes by her love of the ocean from her childhood as a Navy brat.

Carla’s history background makes her no stranger to footnote work, either. During her National Park Service days at the Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site, Carla edited Friedrich Kurz’s fur trade journal. She recently completed a short history of Fort Buford, where Sitting Bull surrendered in 1881.

Following the “dumb luck” principle that has guided their lives, the Kellys recently moved to Wellington, Utah, from North Dakota and couldn’t be happier in their new location. In her spare time, Carla volunteers at the Railroad and Mining Museum in Helper, Utah. She likes to visit her five children, who live here and there around the United States. Her favorite place in Utah is Manti, located after a drive on the scenic byway through Huntington Canyon.

And why is she so happy these days? Carla is enjoying writing for an LDS audience now, where she feels most at home.

 Carla Kelly's Christmas Collection includes four short holiday romance stories: The Christmas Ornament, Make a Joyful Noise, An Object of Charity and The Three Kings. Each story is an entertaining Regency romance of quiet heroes and heroines facing problems and obstacles before finding that which they need most. The first story, The Christmas Ornament, quickly became my favorite.

The Christmas Ornament poses the question: can a woman be more intelligent than a man? In London, 1815, woman had one role and that role was to be a wife and mother. Olivia Hannaford is about to come out in society and her father wishes something more for her, someone to match wits with. He chooses James Ender, a childhood friend to his deceased son, Tim. James--Viscount Lord Crandall--is a scholar who spends most of his time away at school, at the age of twenty-eight. Lord Hannaford visits James to reveal his plan-it is his intention to see this smart young man wedded to his daughter. Can the shy, bookish James sway Olivia? What ensues is entertaining while endearing James, Olivia and James' father to the reader.

Each story certainly entertained  with their interesting characters and romantic story line. Having the setting as the holidays was an added treat. With the shorter format, it was harder to develop a sustain a long lasting relationship with these characters and I did want to know more about my favorite couple, James and Olivia. The London setting and period detail enriched each tale. As Christmas approaches, consider Carla Kelly's Christmas Collection when it's time to settle back, relax and dive into a book after the hours of shopping and baking are done.

Rating: 4

Cover comment:

Kind of bland.

Book source:

I received a promotional copy from Cedar Fort Books in exchange for my honest review during a blog tour.