A Very Scandalous Holiday

Part of the Men of Fortune collection, A Very Scandalous Holiday (2013), a collection of short historical romance stories by Nancy Fraser and others, received a nomination for the HOLT Medallion in 2014. The stories, which take place across the world between the early Regency era and World War II, center on Christmas romances and festive love affairs. Fraser has been writing romance novels since 1996. She wrote A Very Scandalous Holiday along with Sophia Garrett, Amber Lin, and Crista McHugh. Although she is best known for writing historical romances, Fraser also writes futuristic and contemporary romance books.

A Very Scandalous Holiday comprises four short stories: “Erin’s Gift” by Nancy Fraser, “An Eternity of You” by Sophia Garrett, “Letters at Christmas” by Amber Lin, and “Eight Tiny Flames” by Crista McHugh. Each story takes place just before or during the Christmas season. They show that love is universal, no matter where we are in the world or what century it is.

“Erin’s Gift” takes place in Chicago during the Prohibition. Seth Harrison, a widower and lawyer, lives in downtown Chicago with his young son, Ben. Convinced that he doesn’t need anyone else in his life, he believes he will never fall in love again because it is too painful.



One day, Seth gets a call to represent the young musician Erin O’Mara, an aspiring concert violinist with no money and no family. When Seth finds out that she is unemployed, he invites her to work as Ben’s nanny. He is struck by her beauty and her musical talent, but he refuses to fall in love. However, after some weeks, Seth can’t deny his feelings any longer. He and Erin begin a relationship as she pursues her musical career.

“An Eternity of You” is set just after the Regency era, in 1833. The protagonists are Andrew Wingate, now the new Duke of Sharrington, and Rebecca Rycroft. As the story begins, Andrew heads back to his family’s estate after spending six years in his own earldom in Sussex. His wife died recently, leaving him with their young daughter, Alice. He wants to rebuild his life and rekindle an old love affair.

Unfortunately, Andrew’s ex, Rebecca, doesn’t want to see him again. He abandoned Rebecca to marry someone else; she is still heartbroken. She wrote Andrew numerous letters, telling him that she was pregnant with his child, but he never wrote back. Now, Rebecca can’t believe that Andrew has the nerve to show his face.



Andrew begs Rebecca’s forgiveness. He claims that he never thought he was good enough for her, and he didn’t think she would ever marry him. Rebecca, however, still won’t forgive him. When he falls ill and Rebecca cares for him, she remembers how she once felt. After spending more time together, Rebecca and Andrew fall in love again—just in time for Christmas.

Taking place during late Regency England, “Letters at Christmas” is also about second chances. The hero is Captain Hale Prescott, and the heroine is Sidney Harbeck. Hale chose his career over Sidney three years ago, and she hasn’t heard from him since. She knows that he is a rich and successful navy captain now, but it does not matter: She can’t forgive him.

One day, however, Hale returns home determined to win back Sidney’s love, although he knows that it won’t be easy. Feisty and very strong-willed, she knows her own mind. When they first see each other again, she won’t even talk to him, but when he buys her an unexpected, thoughtful Christmas gift, she decides to give him another chance.



The final story, “Eight Tiny Flames,” takes place in Ardennes during WWII. The heroine, Lieutenant Ruth Mencher, serves in the 64th Medical Evacuation Unit, working alongside the unit’s doctor, Captain Joseph Klein. She admires him from afar because she is too shy to flirt with him. If he rejected her advances, it would ruin their working relationship.

As Hanukkah draws near, both Joseph and Ruth wonder how they will celebrate it. Ruth decides that this is a perfect chance to get closer to Joseph without being pushy. She asks him if he would like to celebrate Hanukkah with her, and he agrees to meet her in his office after work.

They talk about their families and how they feel about their Jewish heritage. Ruth loves being Jewish, and she doesn’t hide it, whereas Joseph is more secretive. As they talk about Judaism and their lives back home, they realize how much they have in common, and they wonder if they should give a relationship a shot. Despite the horrors of war unfolding around them, they manage to find happiness.