Books › The Present
The Present
First published 1998 · 352 pages
A cozy, festive historical romance that wraps a tempestuous tale of star-crossed ancestors inside a heartwarming family holiday gathering.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like sitting by a crackling fire surrounded by a boisterous, beloved family while listening to a sweeping tale of ancestral romance. The narrative moves at a brisk, engaging pace, effortlessly weaving a cozy, festive framing device with a tempestuous, passionate historical journal. Lindsey’s prose is accessible and unabashedly sentimental, leaning into the melodramatic charm of classic historical romance with spirited banter and high emotional stakes. The mood shifts between the warm nostalgia of a holiday gathering and the fiery, forbidden tension of star-crossed lovers separated by class. It is a perfect comfort read for fans of sprawling family sagas who delight in holiday miracles, spirited heroines, and the enduring legacy of true love.
- Mood
- festive
- cozy
- passionate
- nostalgic
- Tone
- romantic
- sentimental
- playful
- earnest
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- magic of Christmas · overcoming class divides · family legacy · destined love · power of storytelling
- The writing
- Accessible, dialogue-heavy, and unabashedly sentimental, leaning into the sweeping romantic conventions of 90s historical fiction.
- The arc
- Moves from festive curiosity into a tempestuous, passionate historical conflict, resolving in a heartwarming holiday triumph.
- Who it's for
- Fans of classic, sweeping historical romances who love sprawling family sagas, holiday specials, and spirited heroines.
Content notes
- classism
- outdated cultural depictions
- mild sexual content
About the book
As the entire Malory family gathers at Haverston to celebrate the season, a mysterious present arrives anonymously. The gift is an old journal -- a tender and tempestuous account of the love affair between the second Marquis, Christopher Malory, and a dark gypsy beauty named Anastasia, who seeks a love match with a non-gypsy in order to save herself from a prearranged marriage to a brute. Though the dashing English lord Anastasia sets her sight upon burns for the exquisite, exotic miss, Christopher could never consent to wed such a lowborn lady. But miracles have been known to happen in this season of peace and giving and love, as two extraordinary people seperated by cicumstance of birth begin a passionate dance of will and wiles. And in the miraculous blossoming of a glorious romance at a long ago Christmastime, there are wise and well-learned lessons that will enrich the hearts of the Malory descendants -- and, indeed, of everyone who has ever dreamed.
Description from Open Library.
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