Five years ago, Miss Merry Parks left her fiancé, Alexander Ponsonby after someone used her insecurities against her to manipulate her into leaving. They both moved on with their lives as best they could, but when Merry's good friend Charlotte dies shortly after asking her to find her husband, Alexander's cousin, and to make sure he takes responsibility for their daughter, Merry is forced to seek out the man she never really stopped loving.

This was a nice Christmas novella. I really liked both main characters. They are both good people, who simply didn't trust their love was strong enough when they were young and easily influenced. I understood both their actions (her leaving, him not fighting for her sooner), and I liked seeing them getting together and realizing there was still something there, and seeing that they had both grown stronger. The wonderful characterization really saved this for me because of the thing I didn't like. There were a lot of hurtful, despicable people doing things I personally wouldn't have forgiven. There were times I really wanted those two to cut ties to certain members of their family and banish those people from their lives. But I guess since Christmas is supposedly the season of forgiveness and all...

All in all, this was an enjoyable story about two really nice people, and the writing and the characterization was just lovely, so I'm rounding up my initial 3.5 rating to 4 stars.

A Second Chance at Love. 4.5*
Torn apart five years earlier by a meddling grandmother, Alex and Merry are thrown together in tracking down an infant's father. Add in a house party, snow and a deranged young woman and things get interesting. Loved the characters and the story.
Note re the book cover: not sure of the period in which this novel is set but there is a King on the throne, so I would assume Georgian or Regency but cover shows a decorated Christmas tree which was not introduced into Britain until Queen Victoria's reign by her husband Prince Albert.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

Tragedy sets in motion the seeds of a second chance in Manda Collins emotionally charged, but highly romantic, With This Christmas Ring. Amazing that although written as a historical romance, it didn't read like one. Ms. Collins touches on subjects that are relevant no matter what time period. Love and loss are emotions we all deal with and hope never goes out of style.

A good read to put you in the mood for the holiday season. It was a quick read with an interesting story line and engaging characters.

Miss Merry Parks makes a deathbed promise to her close friend Charlotte that her infant daughter will be taken to her absent father. There’s only one problem to find the baby’s father, she’ll have to consult his cousin, Alex Ponsonby, Viscount Wrotham, the man she jilted five years ago. Alex is stunned to find Merry Parks on his doorstep with an infant in her arms. His shock soon turns to dismay when he learns his own cousin William is the man who abandoned his wife and child. Merry agrees to travel with Alex and baby Lottie to Wrotham Castle, where the entire Ponsonby family has gathered for the annual Christmas party, but her plans to see the baby settled then leave are ruined by a snowstorm.
A lovely well written story of misunderstandings & second chances as well as a scheming Dowager. The characterisation is very good Ale & Merry are delightful & both have been carrying a torch for five years. Alex has always deferred to his Grandmother but having recently returned from a year in France he’s matured & no longer willing to be manipulated. Merry isn’t a beautiful svelte debutante but an intelligent slightly plump woman, which made me love her even more. The pace of the story is good & I quickly became engrossed & read it in under a day

With This Christmas Ring is a sweet, charming historical romance set during the Christmas season. From the beginning, the reader's emotions are engaged with sympathy towards the young child & with Merry having to face her ex-fiancée. The plot took a couple of unexpected twists that keeps the reader involved. Even though I'm not fond of historical, I really enjoyed the writing in this one.

I spent my teens reading historical romances like this one, but haven't read one in years. However, this one looked interesting, and I was feeling nostalgic. It did not disappoint. Yes, it followed the standard path where two people fall in love, and they are obviously not suited, but their love cannot be denied. There was meddling family, competitors for affection, and even a baby. It was a quick (but longer than what I would consider a novella to be, which is how some reviewers called it), fun read, and I recommend it.

You’ve just got to chuckle when the heroine of a Christmas novella is named Merry! And the smiles just keep coming in this quick read with an evil stepmother (well actually, a grandmother), a charming prince (or viscount, as the case may be), and a beautiful princess (or more accurately, a brainy commoner!).

All of Manda Collins’ characters get their happily ever-after or their come-uppance depending on what they deserve in this sweet little book.

Merry Parks’ dear friend, Charlotte, died shortly after giving birth to a daughter, Lottie, and Merry is determined to see that the babe’s father, William, will take care of her. William and Charlotte had eloped, but soon after he was called away and never came back. William is the cousin to the man Merry thought she would marry, Alexander, Viscount Wrotham. Five years ago, his grandmother convinced her she was unworthy of him and she left him with no explanation.

It’s been five years since she has seen him, but knows he will help her with Lottie. They leave London for Wrotham Keep as his family is probably there for the holidays. Alex has wondered if his Grandmother was behind Merry leaving him, but Merry will not confirm that. However, in the five years they were parted he learned a lot about his family and still loves Merry. After meeting his daughter, Will loves her and is determined to set things right.

There is a lot more going on at the house party that I will not spoil. This is a lovely, heartwarming holiday story that I hope you will read. Thanks to the publisher for allowing me this ARC. I really enjoyed it.

Publisher's Description:

A wallflower determined to fulfill a dying promise, the rogue she jilted years ago, and an orphaned baby are all brought together amidst the magic of Christmas in this new novella from Manda Collins.

Miss Merry Parks makes a deathbed promise to a schoolfriend that her infant daughter will be taken to her absent father. There’s only one problem—to find the baby’s father, she’ll have to consult his cousin, Viscount Wrotham, the man she jilted five years ago. The man she couldn’t forget.

Alex Ponsonby, Viscount Wrotham, is stunned to find Merry Parks—looking more lovely than ever--on his doorstep with an infant in her arms. His shock soon turns to dismay when he learns his own cousin William is the man who abandoned his wife and child. As head of the family he’s duty bound to see right is done. But he can't let this opportunity pass. He’ll take Merry and the baby to his cousin, but he’ll woo her back in the process.

Merry agrees to travel with Alex and the baby to Wrotham Castle, where the entire Ponsonby family has gathered for Christmas, but her plans to see the baby settled then leave are ruined by a snowstorm. After five years apart, Alex and Merry will spend the week getting reacquainted. Perhaps it’s the spirit of the holiday, or the magic of the season, but there could be something else in the air this Yuletide…A Christmas Reunion.

My Thoughts:

I loved this short read by Manda Collins. As usual she has not disappointed this reader.
Interfering relatives are the base of this lovely Christmas Novella.
Merry is a wallflower and once five years ago she had been set to marry the love of her life until his grandmother stepped in and drove Merry away. Alex never knew that his Grandmother had a hand in Merry jilting him. Now Merry has come back into his life with a baby in tow. A baby whose mother died in childbirth. Merry is looking for the father who happens to be Alex's erstwhile cousin.
Alex, after having no luck locating the baby's father invited Merry to come with him to his Grandmother's annual Christmas gathering, because he is certain the little girl's father will be there.
How will this tale end for Alex and Merry?
I gave this book 4.5 of 5.0 stars for storyline and characterization and a sensual rating of 2 of 5 flames. This is mostly a sweet romance with a minimum of kisses involved. It does, however have a bit of a sinister plot.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley to read. This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

Circumstances reunite Merry Parks and Alex, Viscount Wrotham after years apart. Although, she'd left him years ago, they find they're still attracted to each other. They spend time getting to know each other again with Alex determined to win her back.

I don't want to reveal any details but one of the things I liked is how the author revealed the reasons for certain character's behavior and tied that into the story. I felt it showed where the character was coming from.

I've read other books by this author and am looking forward to her next one.

Charlotte had her daughter and a little later, she died. Before her last breath, she managed to get her friend, Miss Merry Parks, to promise to take her daughter to her father, William Ponsonby, cousin of Viscount Wrotham.
It would be a promise not so hard to keep if the Viscount had not been engaged to Merry.
But still, she was determined to give little Lottie to William.

Merry went to the Viscount's house and talked to him.
They had not seen each other for five years and the way their engagement was broken by Merry was still a mystery to Alexander.
She just left a letter with the engagement ring, and left with her father for Greece.

Now, Alexander would have to help Merry solve the situation of that child who, according to Merry, was not a bastard, but William had indeed married Charlotte. This news was entirely new to Alexander.

Taking advantage of the situation, and knowing that they would have to travel to the country house to find William, Alexander would do everything to find out the reason for Merry's run away 5 years ago and to try, with all his strength, to recover the affection of the only woman that he loved.

A Christmas short story. Second chance. Secrets revealed.
4,5 stars

This was a cute novella that takes place in the same time of Manda Collin's other novels (Ready, Set, Rogue and Duke with Benefits). Overall I enjoyed the story, but it did not have me hooked in. I much prefer her book Duke with Benefits over this one. Another thing was that despite the title, this novel was not particularly Christmas-y. The story could have taken place around any holiday or party for that matter. 

Lastly, for a novel, the climax was pretty dull. At least the explanation for it. It definitely could have been better developed to add more drama to the tale. As a novella, I would recommend this book, solely for its cuteness.

So many scandalous things happening in the romance, most made due to assumptions that our heroine and hero make. Suspense filled and full of passion. A lovely Christmas romance.

This book is full of emotions that will have you laughing and crying all at the same time. A wonderfull Christmas novel that tugs at your heart.

This short book was a sweet holiday treat. Five years ago Merry walked out on their betrothal without a word or explanation but Alex suspects that his conniving grandmother had a hand in sending the only woman he has ever loved and still loves away. On his return from Paris, he plans on seeking her out but what he doesn't expect is to find her on his doorstep with a baby in tow. He sees this as the opportunity he needs and he uses it to his benefit. His grandmother is a horrid woman and she doesn't hold back her insults when Merry shows up with Alex to present the baby girl to his cousin, Will, and to give him the news the wife he left shortly after marrying her died giving birth to her. The story was an easy read and was enjoyable. I loved every moment.

This is a not too long holiday story that packs a wallop in a short tale. After a deathbed promise to her school friend that she will take her infant daughter to her absent father, Miss Merry Parks begins her mission. However, there is one big glitch in the mission: she must go to Alex Ponsonby, Viscount Wrotham, whom she cannot forget since she jilted him five years ago, since the little girl’s father is his cousin, to find out where the father is. When he learns that his cousin, William, abandoned his child and wife, Alex, with a sense of family honor, agrees to take Merry to William—while, at the same time, he persuades Merry to come back to him. Along with Alex, Merry and the little girl travel to Wrotham Castle, where the family has gathered for the holiday, to find William. A snowstorm interferes with Merry’s plan to leave as soon as the girl is delivered, and Merry and Alex spend the next week getting acquainted. Can Alex succeed? The holiday season make this wish of Alex a reality?

This is a nice, holiday romance of love lost and found again. It was interesting to watch the dynamic between Merry and Alex, as they moved through their reunion. The story captures the true spirit of this holiday season well. The writing is likewise well done, with the story moving smoothly and easily along from start to finish. I enjoyed reading it, and it definitely made me feel “Christmassy”, though right now, in September, it is a bit early for that. This is a short work that will make the reader also get into the spirit of the Christmas season, I think. I recommend it as a quick interlude read for this reason, or, if the reader wants something short and sweet, filled with the holiday spirit. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

A sweet Christmas historical romance-a perfect, quick, read for the holidays!

I really enjoyed With This Christmas Ring, which was the first book I was able to get into after a month-long book slump. Ms. Collins’s writing style pulled me in from the first page and held onto me until the very last sentence. Her characters were fun, and I especially liked the female friendship that sprouted up about half-way into the book. I also enjoyed the interactions with both the hero and the heroine, and I was glad that for the most part, it did not fall prey to the novella-curse — the idea that a book would work better as a full-length novel because the themes are too heavy or the conflict too complicated to be worked out in a shorter form. However, there were some minor issues that keep this from being a five star narrative.
The first issue I had was the heroine’s name, Merry. One of the things that always bothers me in Christmas themed romances is when the author insists on giving their characters cutesy Christmas names. I would probably be okay with Merry being the heroine’s name if this took place in the US, but it doesn’t. People in the UK don’t even say Merry Christmas — they go with Happy Christmas instead, so calling the heroine Merry in a UK-based story doesn’t even make sense. Obviously, this is a personal issue and won’t bother other people as it does me, but I really needed to get that off of my chest.
The other main criticism I have with this book is that one of the characters suddenly becomes a sociopath about 70% of the way through the story. This development and the subsequent conflict it causes felt out of place with the rest of the plot and was simply a deus-ex-machina used to get the rest of the characters on the same page. It felt as if Ms. Collins had written herself into a corner and couldn’t figure out any other way to get out of it. Plainly speaking, this was lazy writing at its worst. I’m sure she could have figured out another way to wrap things up, but for some reason this is what she chose to do. Sigh.
I do have to hand it to Ms. Collins for including what I like to call a Christmas Deep-Cut — Lo How a Rose E’re Blooming. I don’t think I’ve heard that song in close to 20 years (my school chior used to sing it during Advent), so I got a real kick out of seeing it here.
3.5 Stars

This was a fun & enjoyable book to read. If you are looking for a nice romance to read over the holidays, then check this book out!