So, the Holiday season is over - but what the hey
Well, 2017 is over and I had high hopes for 2018. However, so far, 2018 selections are making me walk around with a frowny face. I've started three, put them away and had to turn to some old holiday novellas for a smiley face. Anyway, Jill Barnett has republished three of her holiday short stories: Daniel and the Angel, 1994; Eleanor's Hero, aka Boxing Day, 1997; and My Lucky Penny, 2017 (new). They have been repackaged as the Christmas in the City series, but really the only thing that connects them is they take place in New York City in the late 19th century.
Daniel and the Angel, 1994. This is a sweet story, maybe even a little silly. It reminded
me an awful lot of some old Hollywood movies like It's a Wonderful Life, The Bishop's Wife, and Here Comes Mr. Jordan. A bumbling angel, Lillian, is sent to earth to soften the heart of a young, handsome miser, D.L. Stewart. When Lillian is kicked out of heaven, she lands with a bump in front of Stewart's carriage. Believing she is injured, Stewart takes her home. His lawyer tries to get her to sign a release so she won't sue. Lillian, being an angel, has no use what-so ever for any money. Someone who has no use for money is an oddity for Stewart, one that he has trouble understanding. And, that's the basic story. Lillian trying to turn D.L. Stewart into a nice guy and D.L. trying to figure Lillian out. This is a case of instant love, but that's ok because this is such a short story there isn't any room for a long love preamble. The tale is pretty whimsical, with just a light touch of angel dust thrown in. It was a nice read, very seasonal and it cheered me up. So, if you like bumbling angels, this should hit the right spot. It's a fast, pleasant, joyful read.
Eleanor's Hero, aka Boxing Day, 1997. This one I didn't like so much. Here's why - I'm
not too keen on professional boxers being heroes in my romance books. I don't know why. I never have been a big fan of men beating each other in the head with their fists. But I tried to get past that in this story. But then there is Eleanor. Eleanor is a forty year old woman and our heroine, but gee willikers one would think she was 80 years old and had no hormonal urges. You see, Conn, our hero-boxer is younger than Eleanor - I think by eight years. So, she's forty and he's thirty-two. I have to ask - how would one be able to tell the age difference just by looking at them? Forty/thirty-two - don't get the problem. But the age difference was a biiigggggg problem with Eleanor and that made what should have been a light-hearted short story irritating. There could have been some really funny things in this story, especially after she moves into the same building as the one he lives in. She's also his landlady. But there was just too much time wasted on the age thing, and it got pretty monotonous pretty fast. Not my favorite Jill Barnett story.
My Lucky Penny, 2017. This is the new story in the batch. Well, here I go again - this is
one of those times when a short story should have been longer. There was just too much going on in My Lucky Penny and the characters needed more development time or something should have been edited out to allow for more depth. Here's the plot, a bachelor uncle, Edward, becomes the guardian of his 4 year old niece. His niece is going through some kind of trauma and cannot or will not speak. Then one snowy day she sees a doll in a store window which looks likes her mother - and she talks. She wants that doll. Well, Edward cannot stop the carriage, he's a busy guy after all, but promises her he will get it for her later. When he goes back, the doll is gone. So, he begins to look for another doll just like that one. The doll maker is our heroine, Idalie Everdeane, and Idalie hasn’t anymore "Josie" dolls. The strong parts of this story were the moments shared between Edward and his niece, Penny. He is a pretty busy guy who has filled all of his days with his work and when he becomes Penny's guardian all of his orderly routine becomes chaos. Their relationship is pretty special. What isn't so strong is the romantic relationship between Edward and Idalie. Remember this is a short story, but Ms. Barnett doesn't actually have Edward and Idalie interact with each other for quite a while. For me, there just wasn't enough romantic chemistry between Edward and Idalie - they just didn't seem to connect. My Lucky Penny had moments of superb writing, but that wasn't enough for this short story to work.
Bottom-line - I'm always a sucker for short stories. I know what I'm getting into when I purchase them. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don't. But, usually they make me smile. While My Lucky Penny deserved a longer format, it had its delightful moments. It's just the romance in the story didn't work. I liked Daniel and the Angel, I thought it was a pleasant, smiley-face read. My least favorite of the three was Eleanor's Hero, aka Boxing Day - what an irritating heroine.
Time/Place: 1880s New York
Sensuality: Varies: Sweet to Warm
Overall:
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