Mistletoe Christmas: Welcome to a Regency Christmas house party like no other . . .

A Christmas anthology of romance by well-known authors is centered around the Duke of Greystoke's annual Christmas Revelry. A Mistletoe Kiss - Eloisa James: Lady Cressida has been the mastermind behind the lavish entertainments for the Christmas Revelry, however all the honor and accolades have gone to her demanding father, giving her no credit whatsoever. As he lies on his deathbed, the promises he made her are broken whilst spewing insults at her. Recognizing that after all the years of hard work, she has no future, Cressida is devastated, but all the more so that the heir and his friend have been present during the exchange. Despite having known Cressida since she was a little girl, Elias de Royleston sees her with fresh eyes even whilst her father is berating her. He sets out to understand just how involved she is in setting up the Christmas Revelry and is amazed at her organizational skills and creativity. He also comes to see that Cressida has a different kind of beauty, one the grows on a man, but persuading her that his intentions towards her are honorable is another matter altogether. Cressida longs for her own family, but with her father's insults ringing in her ears, she is hard-pressed to believe the sweet words Elias whispers in her ear. With her stalwart Nanny at her side, Cressida takes a stand and takes hold of her own future. Wishing Under the Mistletoe - Christi Caldwell: Lady Isabelle, the granddaughter to the Duke of Greystoke, is finally invited to write and direct the Christmas pantomime for the Christmas Revelry. When her ex-fiancé arrives at the castle, invited by her cousin, the plot is complicated by pushing the two lovers back into each other's company. There are echoes of Charles Dickens's Christmas Carol as the story evolves and Cyrus Hill once more puts work before pleasure. Having found each other, it would seem that the spark that had never died is about to be put out once again, but a wise word in Isabelle's ear turns tragedy into triumph. Compromise Under the Mistletoe - Janna MacGregor: Whilst most people would rejoice at receiving an invitation to the Christmas Revelry, Caroline Whitmore and her Stephen are forced to attend together in order for Caroline to request that her inheritance be released before her twenty-fifth birthday. However, the Duke of Greystoke has other plans for them. His spies are everywhere and as much as they would like to keep the fact that they are estranged, Greystoke is aware of every move they make, almost before they are aware of it themselves. Stephen sadly thought he was giving Caroline everything she wanted only to discover that his idea of a good husband and Caroline's are very different indeed. After a year apart they finally start to communicate, something that every couple to discover if they are going to have a happy marriage. Mischief and Mistletoe - Erica Ridley: Louisa Harcourt is weary of her mother's constant barrage of words and admonishments to find a husband. Arriving at the annual Christmas Revelry, Louisa discovers a man who stirs her heart for the first time. Unfortunately, it is not the same man that her mother thinks will be an ideal husband, one that would make her a lady. Hiding under the guise of a poet, Ewan Reid is surprised to find Louisa defending him against more powerful members of society. Unfortunately, Ewan is not the poet Louisa thinks he is and her disappointment knows no bounds. It is only when Ewan gives up his right to follow his own dream, that Louisa knows for certain that she has found her match. I have read all the novellas in this boxset and while each story is a standalone and comes to a sweet conclusion, it is in spite of the cantankerous old Duke, rather than because of him. I received a copy of this book as a gift through Harper Collins Publishers and this is my honest and voluntary review.