A Christmas to Remember (anthology)

Over the years, I have realized that most genre romance Christmas stories are not a good match for me.

No, that’s not true.

Most genre romance Christmas stories at best irk me, at worst enrage me.

And yet, I have so many of them spread all over the TBR cordilleras of doom, both print and digital. (I blame poor impulse control when an author I’ve liked is involved, or if the blurb is clever.)

Anyhow, this anthology (one of several so named), was my choice for SuperWendy’s TBR Challenge for December 2022 (“festive”). I hoped that, being short stories, I could read it quickly (I did), and review it quickly (oh, sweet innocent past me).

For what it’s worth, here is the belated review. Beware: relentlessly hetero, relentlessly white; death of parents, death of spouse, death of child (all off-page, as character backstory); some sex, not terribly explicit, on page. Oh, and spoilers for a couple of the stories abound in the review.

In Too Deep anthology (Brenda Jackson and Olivia Gates)

This month’s TBR Challenge theme is Blue Collar, but I’m throwing in the towel entirely when it comes to the theme. On the other hand, this has been sitting in my TBR print shelves over a dozen years, so at least that part of the challenge is working.

“Secrets at Midnight” by Nalini Singh

This short story, set in the Psy/Changeling universe, is the first in the Night Shift anthology, and honestly, one of the blandest entries in the series. I do not recommend this as a starting point for the series or, really, Ms Singh’s writing.

“The Beast of Blackmoor”, by Milla Vane

I first read this story shortly after it was published as part of the Night Shift ¹ paranormal romance anthology, back in late 2014. I was lost in the story from the word go, while well aware that it is set in a very dark world, with violence of every kind and abundant gore, and graphic sex on the page.

Reader, beware.

I finished it wishing for more stories, and I’m very glad they are now available.

(Also worth noting, Milla Vane is a pseudonym for Meljean Brook. ²)