The Holly and the Ivy

Rating:
Summary: A most excellent Christmas feast
Review: I confess I rarely read romance novels, but Ms Fairchild's deft descriptions and beautifully embroidered characters pull me in to her regency world, and I find myself wanting to turn off the phone and languish in the sights and smells of a long-ago Christmas. Best of all, though, are her characters--exquisitely layered, complex, and yet touching and real. Roll over, Jane Austen! Ms. Fairchild has a gift for writing, and it's a gift you'll savor unwrapping, even after the holidays are over.

Rating:
Summary: A satisfying Christmas book, but not all sugar and sweetness
Review: I expected this book to be an entertaining bit of Christmas fluff. I was surprised to find that the book wasn't particularly merry for the most part, but actually dealt very realistically with issues of bereavement, loneliness, betrayal, and rejection, which contrast with the outward happiness of the holiday season. This book really took you inside the minds and hearts of the two main characters. When though Lord "Thorn" does a dishonorable thing, you are privy to his inner struggles and feelings of guilt. You know that he just wants someone to keep him from his lonliness. This was a very thought-provoking book that touches upon what love really means.

Rating:
Summary: A satisfying Christmas book, but not all sugar and sweetness
Review: I expected this book to be an entertaining bit of Christmas fluff. I was surprised to find that the book wasn't particularly merry for the most part, but actually dealt very realistically with issues of bereavement, loneliness, betrayal, and rejection, which contrast with the outward happiness of the holiday season. This book really took you inside the minds and hearts of the two main characters. When though Lord "Thorn" does a dishonorable thing, you are privy to his inner struggles and feelings of guilt. You know that he just wants someone to keep him from his lonliness. This was a very thought-provoking book that touches upon what love really means.

Rating:
Summary: Enchanting
Review: Ms. Fairchild has done it again--provided us with a wonderful story written in her uniquely lyrical style. Merry Mary is my kind of heroine--stromg yet vulnerable and "Lord Thorn" is eminently worthy of love and a lustful thought or two. If you're a Regency fan, you'll want to treat yourself to this Christmas gift.

Rating:
Summary: Enchanting
Review: Ms. Fairchild has done it again--provided us with a wonderful story written in her uniquely lyrical style. Merry Mary is my kind of heroine--stromg yet vulnerable and "Lord Thorn" is eminently worthy of love and a lustful thought or two. If you're a Regency fan, you'll want to treat yourself to this Christmas gift.