Regency Christmas Gifts
In three Regency-set novellas, Carla Kelly evokes a gentle Christmas past. “The Lasting Gift” tells of an impoverished widow and her child who receive a misdirected package. Their subsequent meeting with a retired sea captain answers holiday wishes. “Faithfully Yours” is a Cyrano-esque story of rags to riches. When John McPherson left Dumfries for North America, Sally wrote to him on behalf of her friend Margaret. Now John has returned, with marriage on his mind – but will he find the right girl? In “Lucy’s Bang Up Christmas,” Lucinda and her family mourn her mother’s passing while she struggles to plan her sister’s society wedding, but Lucinda and her cousin Miles discover the true meaning of the season in the end.
These are sweet romance stories, perhaps verging on inspirational, but what could be more fitting at Christmastime? Carla Kelly writes well, and effortlessly evokes the Regency era, and a host of beautifully portrayed characters in a variety of different circumstances engage the attention and hearts of readers. Regency lovers, and readers who enjoy gentle and uplifting stories, will find these three stories a gift indeed, as did I.
