Scandal back in the day led to exciting gossip but could ruin. These stories would have you think at first dowdy will get you no where. Time will change that fact.
Being involved in the theater keeps one busy but another involvement still happens.
Just think how something could cause unhappy to sit up and take note.
While one is told a old maid her fate.
Turn the pages on these to find out what awaits and each outcome.

I am normally not a big fan of Anthologies, but I am a review crew member of some of the authors featured in this one and happily found this to be more like a series in one volume. The stories take place at The Duke of Greystoke's annual Christmas Revelry, which it turns out are not created by the Duke at all, but by his youngest daughter, Lady Cressida, who has become enslaved by her father to run the Revelry and not have a season or a life of her own. The duke is dying and is not a very pleasant fellow. All the relatives know who really runs the show and sympathize with Cressida. The stories are all consistent, with the same characters and the descriptions of the castle and revelry. There are some second chances and some new loves. A very pleasant read, even if you don't celebrate Christmas.

I read an ARC provided by NetGalley.com and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

The Duke of Greystoke is self-centered, opinionated, and stubbornly cantankerous, but he hosts a bang-up Christmas house party every year known as the Revelry. This delightful anthology tells how each of four couples discover or rediscover love during the happy Christmastide celebrations.

A Mistletoe Kiss by Eloisa James
Lady Cressida, Cressie, the Duke’s daughter is actually the brains and the effort behind the successful Revelry. Her father not only gives her no credit for her work, but tells her she will never find a husband, so she might as well resign herself to keeping the revelry going. Well, he’s not happy with that. Her cousin, the heir, has come to the revelry with their neighbor and his friend Elias. She and Elias are enjoying each other’s company and it looks promising until she learns that her cousin offered him money to marry her. Now it’s up to Elias to convince her otherwise. Can he do it? I like Cressie and Elias. There is more to both of them than there seems. He sees how intelligent and talented she is, and she sees through his rakish façade. A cute story with a little surprise or two.

Wishing Under the Mistletoe by Christi Caldwell
Isabella is the duke’s granddaughter. Cyrus is the son of the duke’s former stablemaster. Ten years ago, they were very much in love. Cyrus threw himself into his work to make a better life for them to the point that Isabella felt neglected. Frustrated, she broke the engagement and left to find a life of her own. The Revelry might give them another chance. They are paired, even though Isabella would rather do it herself, to be in charge of producing this year’s play. Will working together help them talk and find their way back to each other? This is a lovely second chance story with a surprise that might be the jolt to bring them together. There is a lot to be said for listening to one another.

Compromise Under the Mistletoe by Janna MacGregor
Caroline walked away from her husband and marriage a year ago because she felt ignored and unimportant. Stephen loved her very much, but while he threw himself into his estate, tenants, and farming, he rarely had anything to do with Caro, except in the bedchamber. He didn’t understand her reasons for leaving. They have come to the Revelry to convince her uncle let her have her trust a little early. In order to do so, they must first convince him that they a happily married couple again. The rules he has set for them to show him this are amusing for the reader (the rules, not the duke) and frustrating to Caro and Stephen. Another lovely second chance story. Stephen and Caro are quite obviously still in love. Their biggest problem is a failure to communicate. Talking, and listening, to each other goes a long way in solving problems that keep them apart.

Mischief and Mistletoe
I love Louisa and Ewan’s story. Because he is a poet in demand, Louisa wants to meet him to talk about poetry, his and hers. Louisa’s mother is determined to find Louisa a titled husband at this year’s Revelry. Her efforts are absolutely hilarious. Ewan isn’t titled and doesn’t qualify, in Mama’s eyes. Louisa and Ewan come to like each other very much. Although she is shy, she shares her poetry with him. He is impressed and shows her how much with a very special gift. Things are really going well, but that may not last once Ewan tells her his secret. It seems he has unintentionally been unkind to her in the past. Can she forgive him? Understanding and forgiveness are good things. It seems they cause wonderful things to happen, especially for this hero and heroine. A great story to wrap up the anthology.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

Christmas anthologies do not get any better than this. Four of my favourite authors in one book!
The Regency house party is the perfect spot for all kinds of shenanigans and romance. At this house party, four couples find their way to a happily ever after but they have to navigate all kinds of obstacles by the way of misunderstandings, communication issues, and pushy mamas.
All four novellas tie in well together with the house party as the backdrop. With likeable heroines and swoon-worthy heroes, this is a charming, feel-good collection and it entertained no end.
It's never too early for a bit of Christmas cheer and this anthology certainly lifted my spirits and put me in the Christmas mood. :-)

I received a copy from NetGalley; this is my honest review - Average 4 stars -
1. A Mistletoe Kiss ****: I still think Elias should have said no to Cressida’s gift but it’s a good story nonetheless.
2. Wishing Under the Mistletoe ***: Such a waste of pages by repeating information multiple times. More contemporary than regency romance. Didn’t really appeal.
3. Compromise Under the Mistletoe ****: Caro cries when she’s happy, sad, cold, etc. Wow. A bit cheesy but who would get in the way of a couple getting back together?
4. Mischief & Mistletoe *****: Such a volte-face with Louisa’s mother; I’m puzzled. Best story yet. Engaging and beautiful.

Are you ready to get in the Christmas spirit? This anthology will do it! Four great novellas by some favorite authors and new to me ones as well. I liked all of the stories.

Four amazing authors join together to bring a wonderfully entertaining Christmas historical read. All the stories take place at the Duke of Greystoke’s Christmas house party. It is fun, entertaining, emotional and a steamy read with great characters. Great chemistry, characters with lots of depth and an enjoyable holiday romance read. I liked it.

I thought this was a mostly enjoyable anthology. The trouble with regency romance in short story format is that the love stories tend to be less believable. The second and third stories relied on pre-existing relationships to get around this and I thought that worked well (albeit those two ended up being fairly similar because of it.) The fourth story was far and away my favorite. I would award that 4 or even 5 stars on its own.

I also didn’t get a super strong Christmas vibe from this, but thought that the connection between stories was well done. 3 stars overall.

A quartet of novellas all set at the same Christmas house party, the Duke of Greystoke’s infamous Revelry. But the Duke is ailing, and the future of the Revelry is in doubt.

A Mistletoe Kiss by Eloisa James
Oh wow, I hated Cressida’s father so much. And in fact her older sisters and her cousin Val, too, for allowing her to be so demeaned and exploited for so long. Elias at least recognised her for the treasure she was, but frankly it took him far too long.

There’s an inherent problem in a story like this with a limited time frame. The entire thing takes place over, I think, three days, and it progresses from Elias barely being aware of Cressida’s existence to both of them convinced they are passionately in love with each other… and I’m afraid I just don’t quite buy instalove at that speed. Three stars.

Wishing Under The Mistletoe by Christi Caldwell
This second-chance romance is much more my speed. The duke’s granddaughter Isabella was engaged to be married ten years ago to Cyrus, son of the head stableman (which did take quite a lot of suspension of disbelief, to be honest). Cyrus has been educated and is now an investment manager, looking after investments for various rich men, but he’s also become too buried in his work. Isabella calls off the engagement because she’s not prepared to come second to it. When they are reunited at the Revelry and forced to work together, it becomes clear that they’ve both grown up in the intervening years and are now ready to fall in love again.
I liked this one a lot and because of the history, it didn’t feel rushed despite the short length… though it really never did get explained just how a duke’s granddaughter was permitted to become engaged to a stablemaster’s son in the first place. I’ll give this one four stars.

Compromise Under The Mistletoe by Janna MacGregor
An estranged couple have to pretend to be happily married in another second-chance romance. Caroline walked out on her husband Stephen a year ago because she was tired of being less important to him than apparently everything, including his prize cow Betsey. She wants to open an art exhibition space for women in London, but to do it, she needs the money from her trust… and her uncle the Duke won’t release it unless she and her husband attend his Revelry… and appear to be happily married.
Stephen clearly has ulterior motives from the beginning; he wants his wife back. I don’t think we really got enough information on the background to how it all went wrong, and Stephen and Caroline definitely didn’t talk it out properly, but that’s a hazard of such a limited word count. A good story, though. Four stars.

Mischief & Mistletoe by Erica Ridley
Louisa Harcourt wants nothing more from life than peace and quiet to write her poetry, but her ambitious mother is having none of it. Louisa must find a titled husband at the Revelry… or her mother will select one for her and force a compromise. Heirs to a dukedom and a marquessate are in the mix, but it’s brooding poet Ewan, a plain Mister, who catches Louisa’s eye.
Interestingly, this was the one story in the bunch that didn’t feel rushed, and didn’t try to pack too much in. I really liked Ewan and how he appreciated Louisa: there was a significant issue because he was hiding something massive and as usual with men, he waited too long to come clean and got found out. He did follow up with a quite magnificent grovel, though, and I enjoyed the epilogue where we saw how their relationship worked in the real world. My favourite story of this collection: I’ll give it five stars.

This collection was one which got better as I went through the stories: the first one was in my opinion the weakest. Most of these authors do normally write full-length and this shorter format does them no favours as they are struggling to get a whole story told in the limited word count: Ridley I know does write novellas (check out her 12 Dukes of Christmas series) and I could really tell because her story felt like the most complete and not rushed. Overall a decent collection with some enjoyable reads. Four stars.

The Duke of Greystoke's annual Christmas Revelry is the setting for unexpected love. Mistletoe, an unexpected suitor, a second chance and a matter of class.. A dying Duke controlling the lives of his family does not go as he planned. Four great love stories that embrace the Christmas spirit, by four favorite authors..
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

I love holiday romances! Stories that can be sweet, or sad, and ultimately have a beautiful ending filled with love. I have not read anything by Eloisa James in a while (I recommend her Desperate Duchesses series), but really enjoyed " A Mistletoe Kiss."
The premise of these four holiday themed stories centers around the dying Duke of Greysoke's annual Christmas party. A yearly institution where all of society covets an invitation to the christmas party, including snow grotto, plays, games, hunting and more. Everyone thinks the Duke, who is actually a heartless old man is the mastermind behind the art and entertainment, he is not. His daughter, Cressida (or Cressie as she is usually referred to) is the mastermind behind the event of the year. This is where "A Mistletoe Kiss" starts.

Cressie's cruel father, the Duke uses his daughter's talent and keeps her esteem in the gutter so she continues to takecharge of his legacy, the party he calls The Revelry. She on the other hand seems happy in her work, but actually is miserable and wants nothing to do with the revelry when her dowery, a Scottish property is returned to its owner's son and the Duke's heir, Valentine Snowe, Viscount Derham. Val known to family and friends must carry on the revelry for a decade after the duke's death with the help from his cousin, Cressie.

Her eyes are open wide at what her father did, and she begins to think of other options for her life. She meets Val's friend, the handsome Elias Lord Darcy de Royalston. It is not love at first sight, but the more Elias gets to know Cressie and see her for who she really is, the more he falls in love with her. The two sieze their happy ever after before the revelry is over. This story starts a little slow, but hang with it, James is a magical story teller. I give this story 4 stars.

"Wishing Under the Mistletoe" is another great story. I can't remember if I have read Christi Caldwell or not, but I will rectify and read more by this author. This story is about Cressie's niece, Isabelle who falls in love with the stablemaster's son, only to loose him to his all consuming need for money and the betterment of his life, a la Scrooge. She releases Cyrus Hill from their engagement and does not see him until ten years later at the revelry of all places. The timeline is the same revelry party as Cressie's story. Isabelle writes plays and has nurtured her creative talents while Cyrus's head for business and numbers has amassed himself and his clients fortunes. The two meet again, the past must be rehashed, but ultimately they come to the decision that they love each other and must not part ways again. With help from Cousin Val, Isabelle's mother and sister, Maeve. The best part of this story is the ending play where love and a future is rekindled. Also a solid 4 stars.

I look forward to the last two stories and hope they are just as good. I will update my review and my thoughts on the author I have not yet read. I wanted to get this partial review up since this book released today. Go pick up a copy! I'd like to that Avon through Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A charming set of holiday novellas set around the Duke of Greystoke's annual Christmas revelry.

A Mistletoe Kiss features the Duke's daughter Lady Cressida who is the real organizer of the revelry and has been used badly by her father who's obsessed with the event. Because he needs her to run the event, he has cut her season short and made her feel unworthy of ever being married and having a family of her own. To him, her only value is to the Revelry. The Duke is on his deathbed and managed to get his nephew and heir Valentine to agree to continue his legacy for 10 years and has given him a property promised to Cressida as part of her dowry or a place to live if she didn't marry. Val asks his best friend and neighbor Elias to consider marrying Cressida and Elias agrees to consider it as he knows his duty is to marry and provide heirs. Val is happy because if she is at the neighboring estate, she can still help him with the revelry. In getting to know Cressida, Elias realizes what a treasure she is and falls in love with her. But the dastardly Duke tries to throw a wrench in the works.

Wishing Under the mistletoe features the dukes granddaughter Isabelle. A decade before Isabelle had broken her engagement to Cyrus Hill after an almost three year engagement. Cyrus is obsessed with work and Isabelle feels he'll never get to a point of marriage. Cyrus and Isabelle reunite at the Revelry, she is now a playwright who will be responsible for putting on this year's play and Cyrus is a friend of Val's. Ten years makes them wiser and Isabelle gets to understand Cyrus's need for security (he is the son of a stablemaster) and Cyrus realizes how his actions appeared to Isabelle.

Compromise under the Mistletoe features the Duke's niece Caroline. She left her husband Stephen a year ago when he appeared to care more for his cow and lands than her. Theirs was an arranged marriage but they fell in love and Stephen doesn't understand why she left him. Caroline bears the scars of a lonely and neglected childhood. In order to obtain her inheritance early, it's held in trust and managed by the Duke, they must show the Duke that they are still together. Caroline offers half to Stephen for his participation and she plans on using her half to open an art gallery for women in London. Stephen plans on using the time to woo his wife and win her back..

Mischief and Mistletoe features Miss Louisa Harcourt whose mother feels the revelry will be a good chance to finally make a titled match for her. Louisa writes poetry and she meets Ewan Reid who is purported to be a poet. She is excited and terrified to meet a fellow poet. But Ewan is not who he pretends to be.

I always enjoy Christmas novellas and enjoy them for what they are-given the length of them, things happen quickly.

These are four charming novellas-I have to admit Caroline and Cressida's stories were my favorite.

Mistletoe Christmas is a wonderfully enjoyable anthology with interconnected stories revolving around the Revelry, a Christmas gathering hosted by the Duke of Greystoke where the invitations are much coveted.

A Mistletoe Kiss by Eloisa James features Cressida, the feisty daughter of the Duke of Greystoke who has been in charge of planning and executing the Revelry while her father has taken all the credit.  As Elias, Lord Darcy de Royleston learns more about Cressida, he comes to appreciate everything about her, and finds the love of his life. 

Wishing Under the Mistletoe by Christi Caldwell has A Christmas Carol feel to the story. Cyrus and Isabelle were engaged, but she broke off the engagement when making money became more important to Cyrus-Scrooge. Shades of Christmas past and present help guide the couple to realize their past mistakes and plan for their future and HEA.

In Compromise Under the Mistletoe by Janna McGregor, Stephen and Caro are a married couple who have been separated for a year. Caro knew they were definitely compatible in the bedroom but felt Stephen didn't think she was important enough to share the rest of his life. Caro needs Stephen to attend the Revelry to convince her uncle that they are happily married, so he will release her trust. Stephen is willing to attend but is intent on wooing his wife and mending their fractured marriage.

In Mischief & Mistletoe Erica Ridley, Louisa and Ewan are both trying to fulfill the wishes of a parent or grandparent rather than their own wishes and dreams for love, family and future. Louisa's mother wants her to marry a title but she wants to want her husband. She feels Ewan is a kindred spirit, a fellow poet. Their attraction blossoms, but Louisa is unaware of Ewan's true occupation.

The Duke of Greystoke's heir, Viscount Derham, features in all the installments but is not paired off. He begs for his own story. Which of these accomplished authors will give him a HEA??

I really enjoyed this Christmas anthology! It was a bite size taste of the holiday season without a full novel commitment.

The four stories center around a Christmas house party with the occasional mention of the same characters, mostly ones we meet in the first story. My favorite were the third and fourth story. They centered around my favorite tropes - marriage in trouble and "unsuitable match."

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Charming and entertaining historical romance anthology set at an infamous annual Christmas party full of revelry and mistletoe kisses.

Four stories with different couples at a party, and each couple is destined for love, if they can overcome obstacles.

Lady Cressida presides over the party planning but yearns to get out from under her dying father's thumb. She wants the estate promised to her, but it will now go to another. Suddenly, Elias shows an interest in her, but is he serious? Is his offer from the heart or from pity? They'll have to work through their differences to find the heart of the matter.

Lady Caroline wants freedom and her trust fund, but her benefactor not only controls the purse strings, he demands she be present with her husband and prove their marriage is true. As her husband tries to woo her heart back, clandestine mistletoe kisses might be the key to igniting the passion, opening communication, and bringing the newlyweds back to one another.

Louisa is a bluestocking overlooked by suitors, and her mother pushes her toward titled gentlemen. Finding a common interest in poetry with Ewan seems perfect, but he has secrets and seems to know things about everyone. Will their passion and spark be enough to overcome differences and obstacles when secrets are revealed?

Isabelle walked away from a relationship when Cyrus seemed more occupied with work than their relationship. Forced to work together on the entertainment, the passion is still there, but is it enough for a second chance when the same obstacles seem to exist. They must find a way to compromise to find true love.

Received an ARC from Netgalley

Such a wonderful Holiday read! All of the authors did such an amazing job of weaving the holiday party throughout. Even though the stories were all short, each one has good character development and what felt like a full plot. I would have loved a full novel of any one of these!

All these stories take place at the Duke of Greystone’s annual revelery and provide entertaining reads.
A Mistletoe Kiss by Eloisa James, 5 stars
I did enjoy this story and found some characters very engaging. But if ever there was a character to hate, it was the duke himself! I felt sorry for his put upon daughter, Lady Cressida. Because of his treatment, she didn’t value herself and yet she was extremely creative and capable. I did like Elias, Lord Darcy de Royleston, who appreciated Cressida for who she was and tried to increase her self worth. They are attracted to each other but will Cressida believe that such a handsome, sort after bachelor could be interested in her? This was an entertaining read with a satisfying ending.
Wishing Under the Mistletoe by Christie Caldwell 4 stars
This is a second chance romance. It had been ten years since Isabelle and Cyrus had parted. Now they are thrown together at the revelry. Cyrus was a very clever man but was away of his lack of social status compared to Isabelle. He worked hard and was a whiz at numbers and had become very wealthy. Isabelle was keen to become a playwright but her gender held her back. This was an enjoyable read but the very best part was the ending, I absolutely loved that!
Compromise Under the Mistletoe by Janna MacGregor 4 stars
Caroline had been separated from her husband Lord. Stephen Whitmore for a year. When they met again, Caroline was still affected by him, as she had always been. However, Caroline had felt neglected in their marriage. Stephen spent too much time on his work and failed to keep her in the loop. This was an engaging read with a couple who loved each other but lacked communication, which led to their problems.
Mischief and Mistletoe by Erica Ridley. 4 stars
Louisa had a very pushy mother who was determined to get her married. Her mother meant well but had an unfortunate way of going about things. Louisa loved poetry, including writing her own. Family was very important to Louisa, as it was to Ewan Reid. Ewan was doing something he detested for his grandfather. Ewan needed to keep this a secret as no one would approve of it or of him. Louisa and Ewan are attracted to each other but what will happen once his secret is revealed. This had a lovely ending.
I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This anthology consists of four Regency romance novellas set during the same holiday house party. Lord Greystoke’s Revelry was a wonderful setting for romance. All of the female characters pursue passions that would not have been respected in women of the time, and all of the stories feature potentially scandalous behavior.

I have mixed feelings about "A Mistletoe Kiss" by Eloisa James. I liked both of the main characters well enough, and I enjoyed all of the details about Cressida designing the Revelry. However, I didn’t find their whirlwind romance very convincing, and Elias completely botched the proposal. In the end, I just didn’t find this very romantic.

"Wishing Under The Mistletoe" by Christi Caldwell got off to a rough start but turned out well. Cyrus was initially hard to like, with a bit of a Scrooge vibe, but he won me over. I liked that both characters were passionate about their work, and I loved the little details of Isabelle writing and designing her play. In the end, both characters grow and learn to understand each other better. The ending was a delightful surprise.

"Mischief and Mistletoe" by Erica Ridley was the most humorous. Ewan and Louisa were both likeable and funny. Ewan made a mistake but does his best to correct it, and he is very sweet with Louisa. I was delighted that they found their way to a happy ending.

Note that this anthology includes explicit scenes of premarital sex.

I was provided an ARC through NetGalley and I volunteered to provide an honest review.

This anthology tells 4 stories of events that occur during the Duke of Greystoke’s annual Christmas Revelry house party. Even on his deathbed the Duke is still controlling the lives of the people around him. He is the ultimate villain changing his will, not to be kinder but to be more controlling.
Eloisa James A Mistletoe Kiss tells the story of the Duke’s youngest daughter Cressida. She is practically an indentured servant to the Revelry. While her father takes all the credit, she does all the work. Her confidence has been worn down by her father over the years and now he is giving her dowry of a Scottish Estate away to tie her to the Revely even after his death. His heir Viscount Denham will inherit it only on the condition that he continues the Revelry for the next 10 years. The Duke practically bequeaths his daughter to Val so she can continue her work. Without anything to look forward to she is determined to escape. Val comes up with a plan to solve both of their dilemmas. He proposes that his friend who lives on the neighboring estate will marry her so she can have a life and he can continue with the Revelries. What starts out as a convenient plan turns into a true love story for Cressie and Lord Darcy de Royleston.
Wishing Under the Mistletoe by Christi Caldwell tells the story of long lost love. Ten years earlier, Cyrus and Isabelle had been betrothed for almost 3 years. He was so focused on growing his wealth to deserve her that he lost her forever. When they both show up at the Revelry and are assigned the job of working together to create the yearly pantomime the old feeling come back. Can Cyrus pus aside his need to make money and accept the love that Belle is offering him again?
Janna MacGregor’s Compromised Under the Mistletoe tells the story of a married couple who have been living apart. Since Stephen spent most of his time worried about the farm and ignoring his wife, Caroline decided to move to London and focus on her interest in the arts. They are attending the Revelry in the hopes that her uncle, the Duke, will release her trust money. He will only do so if he is convinced that the couple is happily married. They need to put on a show for the Duke and his spies to convince everyone that they are in love. This is helped by the quantity of Mistletoe everywhere in the manor. While faking their love story, they find that they are really in love and can work out their problems to be together again.
Erica Ridley’s Mischief and Mistletoe tells the story of Louisa Harcourt who’s mother is wanting to have her make a match at this house party. Louisa is a poet and is attracted to the one man who would be unacceptable to her mother – Mr Ewan Reid, a fellow poet (or is he). While she tries to be attracted to the titled men she is drawn to Ewan. They form a friendship knowing it will end with the Revelry but as the days go by they fall in love. Unfortunately, Ewan isn’t who he appears to be and it threatens to ruin everything. Can these two ever find their way back to their Happily Ever After.
I received an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review.

A scrumptious delight of Christmas Revels!

Four novellas about high society’s forgotten women, or those who wanted more, centered around the fabulous annual Duke of Greystoke’s Revelry of 1815
The Revelry is described as, “ a magnificent Christmastide house party featuring every amusement and wonder…there are plays, dancing, a magical grotto . . . His Grace has a genius for bringing together the finest in England: the aristocracy mingles with artists, politicians, commoners—even journalists and opera dancers!“ It occasionally gives rise to “scandalous behavior”. It’s also known to be a place where a young woman who didn’t shine during the Season might find a partner, given the more informal situation.
Each story gives us a combination of Christmas festivities and a chance at romance either long given up or given away.

A Mistletoe Kiss by Eloisa James
Lady Cressida, the Duke of Greystoke’s daughter, is the force behind her father’s annual revelries. An invitation to the Revely is something the ton lusts for. The invitees list is published annually. Make the list and you’ve arrived. Marriages and fortunes are made here. The occasion is a wonderland of delight. Not for Cressida though. Her selfish, dying father does everything he can to keep her chained to his side, both now and after his death. He relishes kudos of power at play. And so we come to Cressida’s future. In an instance the bandaid of filial devotion is shattered. Where to for Cressida from here? Tightly written, with the Duke of Greyford such a controlling, dislikeable character, that I throbbed with indignation.

Wishing Under the Mistletoe by Christi Caldwell
A fairytale of love lost. The past pulls on the present in this second chance Christmas romance. Ten years ago Lady Isabelle Wilkshire left her fiancé and walked off into a future of playwriting. She’s been called back to her grandfather’s Revelry (yes, the Duke of Greystoke) to produce a pantomime for the annual celebrations. Cyrus Hill, the man she was to marry is also present. Let the games begin! A touching story of love regained, of lost chances and misunderstandings. Once again the detestable duke is a hovering presence even if it’s from his deathbed.

Compromise Under the Mistletoe by Janna MacGregor
Lady Caroline Whitmore had left her husband Lord Stephen exactly one year ago. Not because she didn’t love him, but because he didn’t truly see her. Having started an art gallery for women she needs her inheritance from her uncle, the Duke of Greystoke. That comes with conditions. Caroline and her husband are required to attend the Duke’s Revely and prove that they are still together as man and wife, obliging the cantankerous (my words) old curmudgeon and what he wanted. I love the acknowledgement Caroline gives her cousin Cressida. “ It was Cressie’s work that made the event spectacular.”
An enjoyable story of love regained, but once more we see the ugly power the Duke keeps trying to impose. He is a malignant presence for those caught in his machinations.

Mischief & Mistletoe by Erica Ridley
Miss Louisa Harcourt was damaged by the scandal sheets in her season. A column, “compared her to Almack’s insipid lemonade, and led to her being denied a voucher. The column responsible for the loss of a young man whom she might one day have wed.”
The season just past was to be her last. To please her mother Louisa has acquiesced to her demands to endeavour to attain the hand of a rich and titled husband by the end of the Duke of Greystoke’s Revels. The thing is Louisa just wants to be left alone to write poetry. That has become her world. When she realises society’s darling poet Mr. Ewan Reid is present Louisa dreams of how she might talk to him about her writing. The thing is Ewan is not all that she thinks he is. He’s a cad even if his reasons for being so might appear honorable. A testy tale that tends towards tragedy, but fortunately is resolved.

An Avon and Harper Voyager ARC via NetGalley
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)