23 October 2020

#Historical Romance Book Review: #Joy to the World by #Carolyn Miller, #Amanda Barratt and #Erica Vetsch

 

Summary: Joy to the World by Carolyn Miller, Amanda Barratt and Erica Vetsch

In Joy to the World, three popular romance authors come together to offer a heartwarming collection of holiday Regency romance. Based on lines from a beloved Christmas carol, these three novellas have depth, faith, and satisfying stories all packed into the perfect length for readers to curl up and take a brief break from their holiday busyness.

"Heaven and Nature Sing" by Carolyn Miller
Two music lovers, deeply devoted to each other, were on the brink of engagement when family circumstances drove them apart. How can they ever overcome both their obligations and their fears to find their way back into each other's arms?

"Far as the Curse Is Found" by Amanda Barratt
One winter night, a woman struggling to provide for her illegitimate child encounters a scarred veteran of the Napoleonic Wars on the streets of London. Can love conquer the darkness of two broken pasts?

"The Wonders of His Love" by Erica Vetsch
A Scots portrait painter finds work at a noble manor house over the holidays. He never imagined he'd fall in love with the emotionally frozen widow there. Now he wants nothing more than to thaw her heart (from Amazon).

My thoughts of Joy to the World

"Heaven and Nature Sing" by Carolyn Miller

The story is set in Wycombe, England, December 1813 and begins when gentleman’s daughter Edith Mansfield joins a Christmas gathering where she is shocked to meet estate owner George Bannerman. Edith rejected George’s proposal a year ago and neither of them has recovered. I enjoyed how the plot centers on the entertaining process when they try to get room to deal with their feelings while also take part in the Christmas cheer. My favorite part was the Christmas vibe I got from descriptions of activities reminiscent of modern day Christmas workshops and a walk in the estate woods to fetch greenery for decorations. The Christmas songs also naturally added to the Christmas cheer. Carolyn Miller writes beautifully and I loved the lighthearted and bantery dialogue between Edith and George. Edith frustrated me as I felt she lacked back bone, while George was the “nice guy” character who tried to win Edith back. The good natured, energetic and slightly meddling godmother, who hosted the gathering was my favorite character. A familiar character from The Elusive Miss Ellison (Regency Brides: A Legacy of Grace Book 1) was a welcome reminder, as I read the book some time ago. 

"Far as the Curse Is Found" by Amanda Barratt

The story is set in London, 1816 when war veteran Dwight Inglewood, Earl of Amberly happens upon seriously ill barmaid Jenny Grey on her way to give her baby up. He decides to offer her work at his estate.  The setting of the plot seems slightly less affluent and different from others I have read and I felt it had a Dickensian vibe in the beginning as Jenny was in desperate circumstances. Later it goes on to feel reminiscent of beauty and the beast. Dwight isolates himself and neglects the estate, while Jenny prays to God for guidance how to help him. I loved how Jenny and Dwight tried to be positive forces in each other’s lives without asking for anything in return and that their feelings for each other grew from a base of friendship. I particularly enjoyed the parts describing how Jenny introduced Dwight to reading the Bible, which had a positive effect on his mental health. His attitude towards life seemed to shift and he grew conscious of people around him, including Jenny and her baby.

"The Wonders of His Love" by Erica Vetsch

The story is set in Oxfordshire, 1814 when Lady Pricilla, Cilla, Haverly meets portrait painter Scottish artist Hamish Sincclair, who has come to paint Cilla’s brother and sister-in-law as a Christmas present. This plot feels unusual as it deals with a privileged female character who is set to become a duchess when her husband dies and she becomes more of a servant to the dowager duchess. I loved that she wants to change her life, feeling uncomfortable in her present role in the family. The characters of this story were very entertaining and felt likable and realistic, save for a couple of seriously unpleasant ones. I loved that Cilla seemed to have a loving and close relationship with her brother and sister-in-law made clear to all on Christmas. That a relationship could develop between Cilla and Hamish as they were of such different classes felt an enjoyable and slightly surprising element. The story mentioned familiar characters from the Serendipity & Secret series, interesting for new readers.

Recommendations: Anyone who enjoys light hearted historical Christmas read will love this. As will fans of Carolyn Miller, Amanda Barratt and Erica Vetsch. All opinions in this review are completely my own. Similar authors to explore might be Kristi Ann Hunter or Leah Garriott.

Conclusion: Three entertaining stories about Christmas activities and celebrations beginning of the 1800s. While settings differ in grandeur, all enjoy similar celebrations and singing of Christmas carols. The writing is beautiful and the characters relatable. It adds up to very nice entertainment in front of the fire with a cup of tea.

Rating: 4 stars / 5

Main reasons: beautiful writing, entertaining plots and characters 


Where to buy your copy

Amazon Paperback

Amazon Kindle

Barnes & Noble Paperback


Book Details


Print Length : 336 pages
Publication Date : October 13, 2020
ASIN : B08KTHHD7F
Publisher : Kregel Publications (October 13, 2020)

About The Authors

Carolyn Miller

I'm an Inspirational romance author who lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia with my husband and four children. Together with my husband I pastored a church for ten years, and I've worked as a high school English and Learning and Support teacher. I love reading (especially Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer), music, films, gardens, art, travel and food. I really enjoy creating worlds where flawed people can grow in faith, hope and love. I am represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube agency. Author's website: https://www.carolynmillerauthor.com/

Amanda Barratt

ECPA best-selling author Amanda Barratt fell in love with writing in grade school when she wrote her first story--a spin-off of Jane Eyre. Now, Amanda writes romantic, historical fiction, penning stories of beauty and brokenness set against the backdrop of bygone eras not so very different from our own. She's the author of over a dozen novels and novellas including The White Rose Resists: A Novel of the German Students Who Defied Hitler and My Dearest Dietrich: A Novel of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Lost Love.
Amanda lives in the woods of Michigan with her family, where she can be found reading way too many books, plotting her next novel, and jotting down imaginary travel itineraries for her dream vacation to Europe.
Connect with her on Facebook and visit her online at https://amandabarratt.net/

Erica Vetsch

Best-selling, award-winning author Erica Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. She's a transplanted Kansan now living in Minnesota, and she married her total opposite and soul mate! When she's not writing fiction, she's planning her next trip to a history museum and cheering on her Kansas Jayhawks and New Zealand All Blacks. You can connect with her at her website, www.ericavetsch.com where you can read about her books and sign up for her newsletter, and you can find her online at https://www.facebook.com/EricaVetschAuthor/ where she spends way too much time! 

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