However, I saw this book in, of all places, a bookshop in Manchester (yes, in the UK). An import, at a very reasonable price, so I decided to give it a try. And I'm delighted I did, having had several days of very satisfying reading from five authors, none of whose work I had read before.
These stories all have a strong Christmas theme, which is done properly, in sharp contract to many Christmas-themed books these days in which the festive season gets perhaps a couple of lines at the end with no other mentions anywhere in the book. Each story in this anthology *feels* Christmassy, in different ways. And yet each story is very different. There are two contemporary romances in US settings, two British historical romances (in the Victorian period, though again each very different), and one time-travel, again set in the US.
We have a modern career woman reunited with the childhood hero who devastated her years ago by a careless act; a still-grieving widow who discovers that the boss of whom she thoroughly disapproves has an incredibly romantic heart; a poverty-stricken young woman finds out how it feels to play the role of angel to a lonely widower and his son; a young Victorian choolmistress enters into an arranged marriage with a reclusive Earl so that his orphaned niece will have a governess, and quickly finds a way to melt his frozen heart; and a 1990s woman is transported back to Pioneer country, finding herself married to the man of her dreams.
I loved each and every one of these short stories. None - well, except perhaps the last, which ended a little abruptly - seemed over-short or insufficiently well developed. And each had its share of humour, angst, romance and heartwarming seasonal cheer.
Highly recommended!
Let A Gift Of Love open the door to worlds of passion and adventure, where love -- and miracles -- are always in the air!