Christmas Celebrations 2022

This is the third edition of the Christmas Celebrations Anthology, an initiative created by Cristy Hulsz to promote the authors of Jane Austen Fan Fiction, not only in their original language, but also as their first approach to the Spanish-speaking public.

I was very curious about this project, but I wasn’t sure of what I would find as this would be the first anthology I would read. It turns out, this is a collection of either original short stories, or excerpts from published books that allow readers to get to know these authors and their writing styles. It is therefore a useful collection of works that may help you decide what to read next 😊 And if you’re a Spanish speaking person, then this is the cherry on top of the cake as you’ll be able to read all these stories in your native language.

This particular anthology is composed of 13 short stories based on several Austen novels, and with many different sub genres such as variations, sequels, modernizations, and even secondary characters stories.

I enjoyed reading all of them, but this is what I loved the most about each one:

The Colonel’s Christmas Quest by Summer Hanford

In this short story love comes literally knocking at Pemberley’s door and allows Colonel Fitzwilliam to find his perfect match. It is ideal for those who love the Colonel and who enjoy exciting and adventurous romances. Because of its length, this story is developed very fast, but it is certainly a thrilling romance, and the perfect story to start this anthology.

Christmas Letters by Jeanette Watts

Christmas Letters is an epistolary romance portraying Miss Fairfax and Mr. Churchill. It was interesting to see an epistolary story in this anthology, and even though I am not very fond of these characters, I did enjoy getting to know them better. As this is an excerpt, it doesn’t have the ending, so it is just an enticement for readers to read the full book, My Dearest Miss Fairfax.

Christmas Day by L.L. Diamond

This is an excerpt of the modern P&P adaptation Unwrapping Mr. Darcy, and in it you’ll find a sexy Mr. Darcy showing Elizabeth Bennet what the best Christmas gift can be like. It was nice revisiting these characters and this particular scene because I have read and enjoyed the book. If you’d like to know my thoughts, you can read my review.

A Quiet Conversation by Joana Starnes

This original short story is a sequel to Pride & Prejudice and readers are privy to a quiet conversation between Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bennet. It was lovely to see Mr. Darcy as an older gentleman and a caring father and Joana Starnes writing excelled, as always.

The Knight Before Christmas by Marilyn Brant

The Knight Before Christmas is an excerpt of the book with the same name which is a modern adaptation of Emma. I don’t really like Austen’s Emma, so I wasn’t fond of the main character in the short story, but I could tell this book was well written, and the excerpt was entertaining to the point of making me want to read the entire book, which says a lot.

Mr. Darcy’s Christmas Surprise by Debra-Ann Kummong

This is an excerpt of the Christmas novella Mr. Darcy’s Christmas Surprise in which the Bennet family helps Darcy out of his mourning period in a very sweet and creative manner. I had this book on my shelf for a while, but I wasn’t sure I would like it, this excerpt convinced me I will, so I suggest giving it a shot 😊

A Roguish Rescuer by Laura Hile

A Roguish Rescuer is an excerpt of Step Lively Mr. Darcy and I found it harder to get into the story because the excerpt mentions several events that already took place with characters we’re not used to seeing in a P&P setting, but Elizabeth and Darcy’s flirtatious dialogues were very enticing. Hile’s humor was present as always, which was a bonus.

The Snow Angel by Suzan Lauder

The Snow Angel is an original and cozy Christmas story filled with snow angels and Christmassy activities. It shows us Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth falling in love with one another, and it is a sweet story that readers will love.

Mr. Darcy’s Present by Regina Jeffers

Mr. Darcy’s Present is an excerpt of the book with the same title. This excerpt gives us a taste of all that is happening in the book, revealing richness in the writing style. It’s been a while since I’ve read something from Regina Jeffers, and this excerpt reminded me how much I enjoyed her stories.

Meeting at the Library by Laraba Kending

I found this story a bit short for the development it had but the setting was very nice with Darcy and Elizabeth meeting at a public library. It is a great example of the authors writing style 😊

The Darcy’s and Miss Smith by Monica Fairview

This is a very curious and interesting sequel in which the Darcy’s encounter an enigmatic lady stranded in the snow and in need of their help. As always Monica Fairview revealed the creativity of her writing and made me imagine a longer book with this premise.

Wedding Night in Bristol by Kelly Miller

This story is a cut scene from Captive Hearts and I liked going back to this Persuasion setting. I especially liked to see that this scene had such an important and beautiful link to Portugal. It depicts Anne and Wentworth’s wedding night where they share endearing confidences with one another.

Christmas at Pemberley by Sally Smith O’Rourke

This anthology closes with a short story which is a sequel to Pride & Prejudice and where we have scenes referring to Christmas but also New Year. I liked to see some secondary characters gaining relevance in this story 😊   

 

Christmas Celebrations is a diverse set of Austenesque stories that will entice readers to read stories by these authors. It is a great sample of the talent that is out there and I am sure readers will have a good time while revisiting the characters they love so much.

 

You can find Christmas Celebrations for FREE at:

https://cristranslates.com

If any author is interested to participate this year, don’t hesitate to contact @cristranslates