My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Go to my Christmas Fiction page to read more of my reviews!
Heaven and Nature Sing by Carolyn Miller
This novella is my least favorite of the collection. I've read about Regency house parties before and in ways that made them unique from each other. This one is merely the stereotypical house party. Throw into the mix two people suffering from the "he/she loves me, loves me not" syndrome, and I just completely lost interest. I can't stand that much miscommunication between romantic leads. It was almost like the stereotype of a stereotype. I would give this one 2 stars. They should have hired Camille Elliot to contribute instead.
Far as the Curse is Found by Amanda Barratt
Brilliant. This novella is brilliant, especially for fans of either The Phantom of the Opera, The Man in the Iron Mask or Beauty and the Beast. It's radiant from start to finish, the story of two inexorably broken souls who are yearning for wholeness. I found the faith elements in this one to be very genuine, especially when the hero, Dwight, surrenders all of his anguish and fear to the Lord. This one I rate 5 stars, hands down, and I intend to read it faithfully every year.
Wonders of His Love by Erica Vetsch
We have another winner! I haven't read many books about artists so it was interesting having the hero be an artist struggling to make his place in the world. Ms. Vetsch's imagery is strong. I could see the fabric, smell the pain, see the colors the way that Hamish did. Overbearing parents are a reality of any era, so I completely bought that Cilla would be overwhelmed by her deceased husband's mother. My one niggling complaint is that, in some ways, it felt more Edwardian than Regency, but since I also love the Edwardian era, it didn't really matter in the long run. This one is 4 stars.
Heaven and Nature Sing by Carolyn Miller
This novella is my least favorite of the collection. I've read about Regency house parties before and in ways that made them unique from each other. This one is merely the stereotypical house party. Throw into the mix two people suffering from the "he/she loves me, loves me not" syndrome, and I just completely lost interest. I can't stand that much miscommunication between romantic leads. It was almost like the stereotype of a stereotype. I would give this one 2 stars. They should have hired Camille Elliot to contribute instead.
Far as the Curse is Found by Amanda Barratt
Brilliant. This novella is brilliant, especially for fans of either The Phantom of the Opera, The Man in the Iron Mask or Beauty and the Beast. It's radiant from start to finish, the story of two inexorably broken souls who are yearning for wholeness. I found the faith elements in this one to be very genuine, especially when the hero, Dwight, surrenders all of his anguish and fear to the Lord. This one I rate 5 stars, hands down, and I intend to read it faithfully every year.
Wonders of His Love by Erica Vetsch
We have another winner! I haven't read many books about artists so it was interesting having the hero be an artist struggling to make his place in the world. Ms. Vetsch's imagery is strong. I could see the fabric, smell the pain, see the colors the way that Hamish did. Overbearing parents are a reality of any era, so I completely bought that Cilla would be overwhelmed by her deceased husband's mother. My one niggling complaint is that, in some ways, it felt more Edwardian than Regency, but since I also love the Edwardian era, it didn't really matter in the long run. This one is 4 stars.
Two out of three isn't bad, right? :-)
ReplyDeleteNope, not bad at all. The last two were really quite excellent, and I think the first really just isn't to my taste is all. I usually try to avoid authors once I realize I don't like them just so I don't keep giving them negative reviews. ;)
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