My Favorite Things audiobook

All I WantWith Lady Prudence’s father gambling away the family’s savings, all she wants for Christmas is to haul him away from London’s most notorious gaming hell. Yet the wickedly handsome proprietor, Lord Stockton, refuses to let a lady enter his establishment. Now Pru needs a Christmas miracle to make her wish come true—and to resist succumbing to Stockton’s charms.Good story. Pru's father is drowning his grief over his son's death in alcohol and gambling, to the point where the bill collectors are beating at the door. Desperate to stop him before he lands the family in the poorhouse or debtor's prison, Pru decides to take matters into her own hands by invading the gaming hell. Unfortunately for her, not only are her efforts unsuccessful, they bring her to the attention of the hell's owner. Stephen started his business after his own father beggared the family with his gambling. He's not about to let Pru ruin his business.I liked both Pru and Stephen. She is determined to protect her family by any method necessary, and her schemes become increasingly wild. There are some hilarious moments as she creates chaos with her attempts. Stephen's charms are an unwanted distraction. Stephen is equally distracted by Pru, who quickly worms her way into his heart. I loved seeing how Pru's determination and her eloquence about the effects on her family eventually make an impression. Stephen is a good man at heart. He tries to protect Pru from the consequences of her action. Their mutual attraction develops rapidly, and the time they spend together deepens their feelings for each other. But Pru makes it clear that she can't give her heart to someone who can cause so much pain for others.I loved the ending. I loved Stephen's big moment as he finally understands Pru's pain. What he did next wasn't much of a surprise, but solidified his nice guy status. I loved the scene with Pru's father in the kitchen at Pru's house. It was truly satisfying to see her mother blast her husband and watch as the truth of the situation finally makes an impression.Three French HensBrinna’s life as a scullery maid changes with the arrival of the castle’s newest guest, Lady Joan. Desperate to escape an arranged marriage, Joan suggests that look-alike Brinna take her place at the Christmas festivities. Suddenly, Brinna finds herself being wooed by a true gentleman, and getting the best Christmas present of all: a new life.Good story. Brinna is a scullery maid who is coerced by a castle guest into taking her place. Joan, who is nearly identical to Brinna, is betrothed to Royce, a Scot. Joan has no intention of marrying a heathenish Scot and prevails upon Brinna to take her place while Joan figures out how to get out of it. Brinna is reluctant but consents when offered enough money to take care of her aging foster mother. There was some question as to whether Brinna could learn enough to pass for a noblewoman, but ends up being a quick study.Royce isn't thrilled to be marrying Joan, who he has heard is a spoiled brat (she was). But she comes with a large dowry, which he needs to restore his estate, beggared by his father. Royce is determined to spend time with Joan and get to know her before the marriage takes place.The first few days were a mess, as Joan's best friend Sabrina does her best to keep Brinna and Royce apart, preserving the deception. She was quite obnoxious in the process, and Royce's frustration was evident. But when she takes ill, Royce finally has his chance. I loved seeing Brinna and Royce together. She was sympathetic to his dilemma and did her best to convince Joan that Royce was not the barbarian she thought he was. Royce was drawn to Brinna's kindness and humor. The more time they spent together, the closer they became, and the greater Brinna's guilt grew. The arrival of Joan's father precipitated a great many events as things began to unravel. I enjoyed the resolution, though I had already suspected part of the backstory.The Fairy GodmotherOdel is told by her godmother that she must marry by Christmas, and even gives her fairy dust to separate the mice from the men. But Odel has sworn off love…until kind and generous Michel catches her eye. He shows Odel how good it can feel to fall in love, but will it be enough to convince Odel to trust her heart?Good story. Odel spent her life under the thumb of her controlling father. The story opens just after his death when Odel realizes that she is now free to do as she wishes. She barely has a chance to think about what she wants when her fairy godmother shows up. In her earthly life, Tildy was Odel's mother's best friend and has now made it her mission to find Odel a husband. However, a husband is the last thing Odel wants. Tildy is determined to have Odel married by Christmas and throws herself and her fairy magic into the process. Odel soon finds herself inundated with handsome, wealthy suitors vying for her hand.Into this chaos comes Michel, a neighboring knight who is on the way home with his squire. Caught in a snowstorm with tiring horses and an ill squire, Michel stops at Roswald for shelter. Odel is rather rude at first, believing him to be another unwanted suitor, but once she understands the truth, she is very helpful.I liked Michel. He is not exceptionally handsome nor wealthy, but he is nice. He treats Odel well and doesn't try to tell her what to do. This is an eye-opener for Odel, who believed that all men were like her father. It was sweet to see the friendship that grew between them over shared conversations at dinner and chess games between evenly matched opponents. I liked seeing their friendship grow into something more and enjoyed seeing the attraction between them explode. Things became complicated when Odel's suspicions ran into Tildy's machinations and Odel pushed Michel away. I liked how Tildy set Odel straight on the difference between magic and true love. I loved Odel's big moment at the end as she made everything right.

** spoiler alert ** Simo_Mica - per RFS.Un desiderio a Natale è una raccolta di tre racconti dell’autrice Lynsay Sands: Lettera di Natale, Le tre fanciulle francesi, La fata madrina.Il primo è un Regency, che tratta la divertente storia di Lady Prudence Prescott e Stephen Ballard, lord Stockton.Il racconto inizia poco prima di Natale, mostrandoci la nostra eroina in una situazione finanziaria precaria, causatale dal padre, che passa le sue giornate bevendo e giocando d’azzardo. Nel tentativo di far avverare il desiderio espresso dalla madre, il giorno della Vigilia, (“Per Natale desidero soltanto che tuo padre smetta di giocare d’azzardo, prima di farci finire tutti nella prigione dei debitori.” Tratto dal libro), Prudence prova a parlare con il padre e ad attirare la sua attenzione, ma a causa dei suoi vizi non riesce mai a trovarlo in casa. È così che, tenendo fede al detto “Aiutati che Dio ti aiuta”, grazie al suo ingegno, tenta di “aiutare Dio a impacchettare il regalo di Natale per sua madre” (Tratto dal libro).Lord Stockton si incontrerà con Prudence nel momento in cui la giovane farà di tutto per poter accedere alla fiorente casa da gioco di cui è proprietario: si travestirà da uomo, proverà a intossicare il padre nel locale, si scontrerà con il buttafuori, si spaccerà per una cameriera e organizzerà una protesta.Di questo racconto ho apprezzato sia l’ambientazione, sia i personaggi. Quanto ai protagonisti, li ho trovati entrambi intriganti, anche se devo confessare di essere stata conquistata dall’anticonformismo e dalla grande audacia di Prudence.Ho amato tantissimo questo racconto, gioendo per ogni sua riga e, proprio per questo, riconosco di essere rimasta un po’ delusa dalla sua brevità. A mio avviso, con qualche ritocco e aggiunta, sarebbe potuto diventare un bel romanzo.Il secondo racconto, Le tre fanciulle francesi, è ambientato sempre la Vigilia di Natale, in un periodo non precisato dell’Inghilterra medievale e, a essere onesta, non l’ho apprezzato molto, sia per l’ambientazione, che per la storia, a mio parere un po’ inverosimile.Brinna, che lavora come sguattera nella cucina del castello di Lord Menton, durante una festa organizzata dal padrone di casa, si ritrova a svolgere il ruolo di cameriera di una delle ospiti, Lady Joan. Quest’ultima, approfittando dall’assenza del padre, per evitare di subire le attenzioni del suo promesso sposo, Royce of Thurleah, grazie alla straordinaria somiglianza con Brinna, decide di attuare uno scambio di persona.La terza fanciulla, cui fa riferimento il titolo, è la cugina di Lady Joan. Ella ha il ruolo di seguire Brinna come un’ombra ed evitare che qualcuno si accorga dell’inganno.Sia il corteggiamento che i personaggi sono ben pennellati e la scrittura è piacevole e scorrevole. Ciò che non mi ha convinta è l’improbabilità del piano. Considerando l’alto numero fra nobili, cavalieri e inservienti che si muovono all’interno di un castello, infatti, mi sembra impossibile che un tale scambio, per giunta tra persone di ceti tanto differenti, passi inosservato.Tralasciando questo aspetto, la scrittura è bella e scorrevole e, trattandosi di un racconto natalizio, non posso non sottolineare la nota di romanticismo e il lieto fine molto graditi, che rendono Le tre fanciulle francesi un racconto carino, che fa sognare.L’ultimo, La fata madrina, è ambientato nell’Inghilterra del 1324, una settimana prima di Natale.Nel racconto troviamo una fata madrina che va in aiuto di Odel, la figlioccia rimasta orfana Tuttavia, la sua protetta non è una bimba in difficoltà, ma una venticinquenne in età di marito, convinta di non volersi sposare.Dopo la tirannia del padre, infatti, la giovane ha paura di una possibile tirannia da parte del marito, il quale, insieme a lei, acquisirebbe anche la sua dote e il suo castello di Roswald. Malgrado ciò, in una settimana, Odel si ritroverà catapultata in un mondo caotico e pieno di ricchi pretendenti che aspirano alla sua mano.Nel frattempo, di ritorno da un lungo viaggio, il suo vicino Michael Suthtun è costretto a chiederle ospitalità e così, in mezzo a tanti personaggi strani, lui spiccherà per la sua normalità e, poco per volta, riuscirà a conquistare il cuore della fanciulla.Ciò che mi è piaciuto di questa storia d’amore è il contesto fiabesco che la incornicia: la polverina magica, il vischio, un bel paesaggio autunnale, la festa natalizia, il teatro e, alla fine, l’amore.L’aspetto positivo e il fil rouge di Un desiderio a Natale, sono lo stile dell’autrice, che io apprezzo in tutti i suoi libri, il romanticismo e la magia di questi simpatici racconti.

Romance is in the air this Christmas!All I WantPrudence and Stephen are such a fun couple to watch! Their tale is the perfect start to this collection. Prudence has so many outlandish schemes and plots to try and stop her father from gambling, and they all go hilariously wrong. While Prudence has good intentions, chaos always seems to follow her. I never knew what she was going to try next. Prudence certainly keeps Stephen on his toes, and I found myself laughing throughout their story.Despite how much fun it is to watch Prudence and Stephen, her family’s situation is very serious. Ms. Sands perfectly balanced Prudence’s amusing antics with the precarious financial situation of Prudence’s family. My heart broke for her when she finally gave up hope just as she and Stephen realized they were falling in love. I will say the solution to Prudence’s problem was a bit predictable, but was very sweet.Three French HensBrinna and Royce’s story was unusual. When Lady Joan and her best friend Sabrina practically force Brinna to impersonate her, I had serious doubts about Brinna’s ability to learn to successfully impersonate a noble woman. This implausible plot was made a bit more believable by the fact that barely anyone at the party truly knew Lady Joan. Sabrina is especially irritating in her efforts to keep people as far away from Brinna as possible while she is acting as Lady Joan.Royce is very persistent and makes every effort to get to know Brinna, thinking she is Joan. Brinna and Royce have great chemistry, and I enjoyed watching them fall in love. I really had no idea how the story would end, and I must say that the conclusion was interesting if a bit abrupt. Brinna’s happy ending is well deserved.The Fairy GodmotherOdel and Michel’s story is my favorite in this anthology. I felt so sorry for Odel. While her father was living, her life had no joy. His passing allowed her to breath and live life on her own terms. Unfortunately, her fairy godmother, Matilda, seems to have other ideas. Matilda seems to think Odel needs a husband. Despite Odel’s protests, Matilda presents Odel with a multitude of suitors, and all of them are completely ridiculous.Michel is a breath of fresh air. Of all the couples in this anthology, Odel and Michel’s relationship felt the most natural. While they found each other attractive, they didn’t fall in love at first sight. Instead, they grew on each other. I loved watching them spend time together talking and playing chess. With Michel’s help, Odel gradually came out of her shell. Their happy ending is extremely satisfying.I highly recommend My Favorite Things to fans of historical romance. It is a heartwarming collection of stories sure to get readers in the Christmas spirit!

Three historical romance novellas to get you in the holiday spirit! ⁣⁣All I Want- Lady Prudence’s father has spent their family’s fortune gambling and drinking. All her mother wants for Christmas is for him to stop. Pry decides to take things into her own hands but the wickedly handsome club owner, Lord Stockton, refuses to let a lady enter his establishment. Pry will need a miracle to make her wish come true. ⁣⁣Three French Hens - Brinna lives her life as a scullery maid, but when Lady Joan visits, and they look almost identical, she proposes a switch. Brinna will accompany Joan’s suitor for the holidays and possibly get the best Christmas present ever: a new life. ⁣⁣Fairy Godmother- Odel’s father passes away, finally leaving Odel free of his tyrant rule. But then her godmother shows up and tells her she just marry by Christmas. But Odel has sworn off love... until kind and generous Michel catches her eye. He shows her how good it is to fall in love again. ⁣⁣This was so cute! I loved the bits of Humor Lindsay Sands three into each story and I found myself grinning and swooning through each story! Such a cute book to get you ready for the holidays! This collection will be available October 29th! ⁣⁣Thank you @avonbooks for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! ⁣⁣

Loved all three stories. Characters engaging and storylines flowed nicely. I do love some humor with my romance and these delivered both. I laughed and chuckled all the way through. A couple of quibbles, though -All I Want - mentions of a horse emetic. An emetic is something that induces nausea and vomiting. Horse cannot vomit. What goes in one end, must come out the other.The Fairy Godmother - it's retch, not wretch. I don't know how many times I catch this error in so many books. Retch is a verb and means to vomit or eject the contents of one's stomach. Wretch is a noun and is someone you feel sorry for. The difference between a verb and a noun should be enough to know when to use which one.Neither of these was enough to really throw me out of the stories, but they were 'tripping' spots.Otherwise, well done.

Loved every moment.You can't go wrong with L. Sands. Her books are always a pleasure. This collection was excellent. Truly sprung from Christmas magic. The stories make me laugh out loud and forget my cares and woes. These are beautiful fairy tales of love and magic. She can spin a tale like no one else, and she's so outrageous that she just makes me cackle right out loud as I picture the predicament she portrays. A true talent to combine love and humor for an uproarious good time. Full of holiday spirit and laughter. Enjoy.

Things I did not want:-lots of conflict-heavy plotThings I did want:-Happy endings-sweet, fluffy romance-a feel-good Christmas storyI received everything I wanted and nothing I didn't. I wasn't even mad about the complete lack of historical accuracy throughout the entire thing. If you're looking for a warm, fuzzy collection featuring a tiny bit of spice and a little Christmas spirit, this is a perfect read.

Story 1: All I Want - 4 starsStory 2: Three French Hens - 3 starsStory 3: The Fairy Godmother - 4 starsI think this collection is worth picking up if you are looking a short story regency romance collection. Even though these stories are set over Christmas, it wasn't overly Christmas-y. But I've heard that in that era they didn't celebrate the holidays like we do now a days, so that might be why.

Absolutely delightful. If you like Sands work, then you’ll appreciate this collection. A great quick read, and not too heavy on the holiday themes (aside from the first story) so if you pick it up during another season it’s still enjoyable. Really enjoyed the first story but the third one was incredible. Please tell me there’s a whole genre of magical highland stories like The Fairy Godmother because that was such a fun, silly world to fall into.

Lynsay Sands always does me right. All three stories were great. The first was funny and both characters were likable. The second had some secret keeping- not ideal. The third had magic, which was absurd but fun. I’d read it again probably. Don’t love the novella style, otherwise I loved it.

These Christmas romance short stories were so good. I laughed so hard at All I want. Three French Hens has Princess and the Pauper vibes. I loved the Magic in Fairy Godmother. Im loving all the Christmas stories!

This collection of novellas has made me a fan of Lynsay Sands! Very cute and Christmasy, and the third story even has some magic!

Loved it could not put it down

I usually only read Sands' Argeneau books, but this one was facing outward at the store and the cover was gorgeous. Loved all three stories! Cute, fun, Christmas read.

Not a real fan of the witchcraft story at the end but really enjoyed the others.