It's delightful to read Christmas-themed stories at the end of year. This time four great authors of historical novels bring their versions of couples who do not want to get married (or who need to get married urgently)

One Hot Scot

By the title you can already imagine the confusion that it is...
Julia needs to run away from a man, with whom she does not want to get married, and ends up falling into the arms of another. That was completely naked.
Duncan is the opposite of the man from whom Julia fled, and he attracts her in a different way (though he has a wonderful, masculine physique): he has a great mood.

Once Upon a Christmas Scandal

Lady Ellen wants to get married. And her father wants this to happen quickly, since he's dying.
To speed up the process, he increases her dowry. That would make all the fortune hunters go after her.

Lord Swainsbury appears, as do other guests for the festive Christmas season, and stirs up Ellen's emotions.
She wants to get married, but for love. Her attraction to Swainsbury is amazing, but would he be interested in her just because of her dowry?
How could she know the truth?

The Scandal Before Christmas

With the prospect of becoming the next Duke in the family, Ian is urged to find a wife.
He didn't want to be a duke, let alone get married. But perhaps marriage would help him get rid of his father's misdeeds.
To rush the possibility of a wedding, Ian asks a friend to introduce him to one of his daughters.
Ian's surprise is undisputed !!
The girl wasn't beautiful, and the clothes she wore didn't help her either. The fame she had was that she would not even be that smart.

To Ian's surprise, Anne Lesley proves to be an amazing woman.
She would be the answer to his prayers to face his authoritarian father, as well as learn that life can be a mix of responsibilities and joy.

It Happened Under the Mistletoe

A gentleman running away from an insistent lady.
A lady running away from her own mother who insists she should marry a duke.
A closet.
An unexpected meeting of two desperate people.
A scandal.
A surprise.

The plots of Valerie Bowman always amuse in a delightful way.

4,5 stars