Today is Jane Austen’s 245th birthday- happy Jane Austen Day, everyone! Although Christmas isn’t terribly prominent in Jane’s works, I do love that her birthday is during the season. I always try and find a different Regency Christmas read for myself during the holidays. And thankfully I discovered this trio of short stories from Susan Payne. I’m going to chat about why you need to read A Regency Christmas Anthology this holiday season! And thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
A Regency Christmas Anthology, Susan Payne
A Regency Christmas Story
Penelope Cooper struggled to maintain a proper place in society, but found herself a failure after hearing of her brother, Christopher’s gambling debt. As a gentleman, he must pay them immediately. If Penelope can’t convince the Marquess of Leighton to wait for his money, more than Christmas is endangered.
The Best Christmas Present
Lord Williamsburg found something intriguing about one debutante, and after meeting her widowed mother, he understood why. Could he begin a liaison with the widow while seeking a marriage with a more appropriately aged debutante?
Sugar Plum Christmas
Lord Hedley had discovered a sweet tooth and not just for the delicious confections furnished by Gunter’s Tea Shop. The young female bakery chef had made an impression, as well. Could she be tempted to bake for him alone?
Why You Should Read This…
These three short stories are great fun, and unexpected in the best ways. I appreciated that they moved along and didn’t get caught up in normal Regency tropes (not necessarily a bad thing, but it can waste time in a novella). We get some slightly out-of-the-ordinary Regency characters, which was also a lovely change. I enjoyed seeing a working female in the Regency period who wasn’t a maid or trying to hide a secret! This is a romance book, rather than general fiction, but I think it is a perfect holiday read!
Are you going to read A Regency Christmas Anthology by Susan Payne?
Cheers,
The Historian
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