(Image from Amazon)

I haven't even put up my Halloween decorations yet, but I just finished a cozy Christmas read that put me right into the holiday spirit!  A Christmas Courting is a collection of four short Regency romances set at Yuletide.  Three popular LDS romance writers—Jennifer Moore, Chalon Linton, and Jen Geigle Johnson—are featured, as well as newcomer Heidi Kimball (her first novel, An Unlikely Courtship, came out in September).  

As you can imagine, the four short stories in this volume are warm, upbeat tales that offer the kind of swoony, light hearted entertainment you crave during the chaotic holiday season.  While I liked some of them better than others, all of the tales are clean, uplifting, and cheerful.  Some deal with more serious issues, but in the end, all the tales guarantee happy, satisfying endings:

Lady Scarlet Cavendish, a wealthy English widow, wears many disguises.  At home, she masquerades as a feather-headed, fashion-obsessed debutante.  While in France, she plays a harmless hag, a clever seamstress, a guillotine groupie, even a soldier—anything to aid the innocent victims of the country's bloody revolution.  Her most secret identity, the one she guards with her very life, is that of the Pimpernel.  A daring spy, the Pimpernel is a "man" of mystery who specializes in whisking French aristocrats out of the country right under the noses of their accusers.  No one would believe a moneyed, well-bred society lady like Scarlet capable of such derring-do, which is the very reason she must pretend to be as incapable as possible.  Lives depend on her ability to act a part (or two or three).

When Scarlet rescues the handsome, charming Comte Matteo Durand, she finds the last thing she wants to do with him is pretend.  She would like nothing more than to act on her growing feelings, to allow herself to fall in love and settle down with the man who makes her heart pound and her soul swoon.  She can't be entirely honest with him, though; revealing her identity as the Pimpernel could put them both at great risk.  With powerful enemies and strong motivation to unmask the infamous spy, Matteo could be Scarlet's undoing—in every way possible.  Can she truly trust the man she's grown to love?  Can she risk the lives of innocent people by revealing herself to him?  Will the desire burning in Scarlet's heart cause the unraveling of the bravest, most fearless hero of the French revolution?

I barely know anything about The Scarlet Pimpernel—the fictional hero of a series of novels penned by Baroness Orczy in the early 1900s—but I still enjoyed Jen Geigle Johnson's Scarlet, a "modern" twist on the classic tale.  The story stars a likable couple, whose exploits are marked by action/adventure, humor, and romance.  Scarlet makes a convincing heroine, although her antics definitely get far-fetched.  Although it deals with serious issues, overall Scarlet is a fun, enjoyable novel that is both entertaining and compelling.  At just over 200 pages, it's quick, it's clean (besides innuendo and some passionate kissing), and it's captivating.  If you're looking for a light, romantic tale, definitely give this one a try. 

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