Gifts of Love

What a wonderful way to begin your Christmas Season. I am a huge fan of Lisa Kleypas and could not believe I had never saw this book before. Let this be a lesson to others. If you have a favorite author you can never check too often to see if certain novels show up around the season. Kay Hooper is a new author for me but a very pleasant surprise. The first story begins with her but I must confess I flipped through my Kindle until I found LK's story and read hers first. LOLHoliday Spirit (KH) This story was special because it has the idea of the Christmas Carol in mind but it is not a visit from the spirits of past, present, and future that come to visit. The idea is a meddling old lady who wants her granddaughter's happiness. She has a house party over the holidays at Wingate Castle (the family home). The snow storm brewing outside is sure to keep people trapped inside for the weeks to come. The Countess of Ware is counting on it because she has invited a particular guest with intent. Antonia jilted her fiancée 2 years prior but it is clear to all after turning down all other proposal's that there is only one man who lives in her heart.Why did she let him go? This is the question because it is obvious that the Duke of Lyonshall has not yet given up hope. The two have not spoken since the morning of her refusal and then she cowardly runs from London without any further words. That was the part that troubled me because it seemed such a waste these two years that they spent apart. I felt the h would have wanted to hear from his own mouth and not trust the word of a stranger or have no faith in him seemed stupid to me.The twist though that made this original was the castle has mysteries galore and along with it it's own ghosts rattling around. It was a little romantic and magical to watch what slowly revealed itself. In the end it was clearly fate that brought all of the events to unfold. A bit tragic and sad but not in vain. There is some love scenes that take place but not graphic. A very sweet tender story that makes you believe that love can conquer all if you listen with your heart and not your head.Surrender (LK) I have loved this authors writing for years and am so thrilled she has decided to start writing some Historical Romances again. Thank you for that LK!! Jason Moran is a self made man coming from a very humble beginning. He has struggled for years to separate himself from his Irish heritage. In order to live in the world he wants to live in he has to put that all behind him. He meets Miss Laura Prescott when she is 15 years old when he travels with his friend Hale from Harvard. Laura is his younger sister. He swears that very night that he is going to make Laura his wife in the future.This brings us to the present, 5 years have went by and the two have been married for two months. They're having a bit of trouble adjusting to one another. That is a bit of an understatement because Jason comes off as a cruel, unfeeling Bastard in the beginning. It is a talk with Hale that brings to light some misunderstandings because try as he might Jason still allows past prejudices to cloud his judgments. Now he realizes how wrong he's been and decides he must start a new to woo his wife.Laura is innocent and scared of her marriage and isn't sure what to make of her husbands decision to go to her sisters for a couple weeks to spend time together. Can she set her fear aside and allow her husband to show her what she's been missing? Her own mother speaks of men as the lowest forms of life and her father is constantly choosing other lovers to share his bed. What makes Jason any different? It is all done with the flare and finesse that only Lisa Kleypas can provide. Even when the couple are at odds and have disagreements they are still together in other aspects. Her characters very often do not hold grudges as you read in other books.They may not agree but they are still there for each other when it counts and that is how it should be in a loving relationship. There are some love scenes but they are not overly graphic just sweetly and gently written. I truly felt Holiday cheer after reading both of these short stories and am patiently waiting another in the mail. Seasons Greetings!!

The Kay Hooper part of the book was not as well written as the part by Lisa Kleypas. Kleypas is a master of writing, and this does a disservice to anyone being lumped in a book with her.

GIFTS OF LOVE is a set of 2 books that are standalone reads with happy endings. There are ghost haunting the castle and trying to tell a story. The big Irishman that loves his wife in a time when that just wasn't done. Mystery, adventure, secrets, are everywhere. Both are great reads. Very entertaining and I definitely recommend both.1) HOLIDAY SPIRIT - Kay Hooper -Good story. Ellie and the Duke are overnight guest in the castle 100's of years old. Their wing has been recently renovated and at midnight they start seeing ghost that seem totally unaware of them. A story is being told but they are unsure what they are seeing. Ellie and the Duke have a past and he wants her but she is believing what she is told rather than what she knows to be true and there doesn't seem to be much hope for these two. Until a few more ghost get in on the scene. Lots of secrets, mystery, ghost and meddling grandmother's. Great story. 12/13/20212) SURRENDER - Lisa Kleypas - I LOVE HER STORIES. This is another good one. It is a short read but it stars Jason, an Irishman in Boston 1880 trying to overcome his Irish background in a town of snobs that think they are above everyone else. He is fighting an uphill battle. He is married to Laura, a girl he has loved for the last 5 years even though no one knew how he felt. She is his ticket to entering the high society circles of Boston. Theirs is not an easy path.Laura has loved Jason since she was 15. Raised by a mother than has been seriously burned by an unfaithful husband - even though he may have had good reason, she has turned her daughters into young ladies very unprepared for life - especially as a married woman.This story is GREAT. I loved Jason. A big brute of a man that desperately wants to be accepted and be better than where he came from. Very entertaining and makes the heart beat faster. I definitely recommend it and anything that Ms. Kleypas writes. 12/12/2021.I was not paid for these reviews. I am not a writer nor do I know one. I am not kin to this author. I am a reader and this is my opinion, nothing more, nothing less.

This is an anthology of two unrelated novellas.HOLIDAY SPIRIT by Kay Hooper: Lady Antonia Wingate and Richard Allerton, Duke of Lyonshall were engaged and seemingly in love when Antonia abruptly broke off their engagement. Several years later, Antonia's grandmother has invited Richard to a "house party" where he is the only non-family guest. While her grandmother attempts to rekindle Antonia and Richard's romance, the two are privy to the ghostly romance of prior inhabitants of the castle. I really enjoyed this story. The romance plot is pretty standard, but the addition of the ghost story and the interfering grandmother gave this story some extra interest. Rating: 4 stars.SURRENDER by Lisa Kleypas: Jason and Laura Moran are newly married but not happily. Jason believes that Laura is contemptuous of him because of his humble beginnings. Laura fears Jason's coldness. The two have the chance to save their new marriage if they can speak their hearts to one another. I really like stories about married couples. This one, however, was just okay for me. Perhaps their problems needed more pages to be explored and solved or perhaps I didn't feel that the characters were complex enough to explore the problems presented. For whatever reason, I liked the story but didn't find it particularly memorable or remarkable. Rating: 3 stars.

Gifts of Love is a collection of two novellas by Kay Hooper and Lisa Kleypas.Both books, although short were very well rounded. The key theme for both books is trust, as past misunderstandings and lack of trust between the hero and heroine have been the reasons why they have not been able to find happiness with each other.If you are a regular reader of Lisa Kleypas' books then you may find it a little tame, but the characters are very appealing.

These novellas are charming stories which fill in details of relatively secondary characters from other romance series by these authors. They round out the series.