Carla Kelly's Christmas Collection by
Carla Kelly
My rating:
3 of 5 stars
Welcome Carla Kelly fans... new, old, and soon-to-be... I am glad to be participating in this blog tour. A big thanks to Cedar Fort for giving me the opportunity to read this book and be a part of this.
I am now in a
Christmas-y mood. What fun! I usually put my tree up the day after Halloween... I know that'll bug some people... but I love it! So, no hating. ;)
So, this book is comprised of four short stories. The first three were, to me, the most
Christmas-y.
The first story is about a father looking for the right husband for his bookish daughter. He has someone in mind, but so does his son. And so does his other daughter. The man he has picked is scholarly and scatterbrained and just a bit... oblivious. He sticks his foot in his mouth a lot. A lot, a lot. The pick by her brother is everything a woman might seem to wish for: handsome, important, wealthy, worldly... and a little bit pompous. The final candidate is not so much spoken about other than that he is lame. Misunderstandings, confusion, and all around chaos ensues. It was fun and a little silly with a sweet romance mixed in.
The second story is about a small town with a crummy choir. Mrs. Chard (The Dowager Lady Wythe) is determined to change that. It is also about Peter Chard, a single father with two children, Will and Emma. Somehow Peter gets roped into recruiting new singers for the choir. Along the way he meets a beautiful, if slightly common, woman. She is pregnant and a widow... living with her late husband's family and quite unwelcome. Yet another lovely love story that made me want to snuggle up and drink cocoa.
The third story is about a sea captain who loses his first mate in a battle with the French. He is battle weary and hardened by all he has seen. His ship is broken and will require some repairs. After holing up at Portsmouth he is surprised to meet the niece and nephew of his late first mate... they've come to him with nowhere else to go. Since he is dead our lovely sea captain takes them under his wing for
Christmas -- returning to his estranged mother and brother. A lovely story that talks about how events can change us for better or for worse and how the worst events can still make us strong and good people. It also broaches the topic of attitude in adversity. I quite appreciated the deeper moral here. The love story was also sweet and the protagonists were flawed, but likeable.
The final story is about a girl, Sarah Comstock, fleeing French-occupied Spain. She meets up with an old friend of her brother's (her brother was shot and killed while trying to copy some old letters concerning Columbus). The friend she meets up with ends up just kind of... disappearing, which was a little strange. This friend left her in the care of Colonel Sotomayor. After some trouble from the French, Sarah and the colonel find themselves separated from the other soldiers and being hunted for some as yet unknown reason by the French.
Because this is set in Spain they talk about the way the Spanish celebrate
Christmas. It feels well-researched and authentic. It doesn't entirely feel
Christmas-y, but that is a small thing.
Overall, I really, really enjoyed this collection of
Christmas stories. I want to purchase the paperback just so that when I feel like being in a
Christmas-y mood I'll have a good, cozy book to snuggle up with and get lost in for a moment.
I don't feel as though I wasted my time at all and, like I said, I feel like buying this book -- an indication of my approval.
Here it is, October 8th...
Christmas will be here before you know it. If you are like me and can't hardly wait, then get this book now and read it! If you like waiting until after Thanksgiving, then make sure you get this book and have it ready... the day after Thanksgiving will arrive and this book will definitely put you in a very holiday mood. It is a lovely, festive read that will touch your heart and make you smile.
Thanks for stopping by and...
Happy (early) Christmas!
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