I wanted to love this set, but after reading them I have a lukewarm feeling at best for most of the stories. The Last Chance Christmas Ball stories are about characters who are invited to this ball for supposedly a last chance at love, or perhaps a chance of redemption of love, set over Christmas period. Not a bad premise for a theme, but when the first 6 of 8 stories are all set with main characters who already know each other from the past, and have already fallen in love before with each other before the story begins, it starts to feel rather repetitive. We don't get to see them fall in love and experience the first rush of interest or attraction because that already has happened in the past. Although with creative flair perhaps all 6 could all have been equally enjoyable but at this rate I felt that many of the times the reason they have not achieved their HEA in the past is trivial or silly, and suddenly overcome in the end. 
 For a short story, I also felt that some of the stories spend a lot of precious words on conversations where characters share in much detail about their Christmas traditions, it's not exactly the most stintilating and emotional conversation, does not add to the story, and it's not done for building character depth. There were (especially that last novella) paragraphs describing Christmas decor and what not. I have nothing against a holiday backdrop for these stories but I wish it was done with more subtlety in some cases. It felt like it was trying just a little too hard. 
 This is an arc review. 
 My True Love Hath My Heart 3 stars 
 About a merchant lady and her aristocratic former lover trying to reconcile at the manor. This should have been an exciting story, it's set up with a little intrigue and mystery as the 2 characters obviously have a past and the heroine is clearly plotting something. The story was moving along well, but towards the end, it felt sudden how the class difference between the hero and heroine, the reason that the heroine has ignored our dear hero for 3 months, is set aside quickly by her after a conversation. We learn that they have not spoken since then not because of family interference, or some misunderstanding, but because (view spoiler)[he proposed, and she feels the class difference is too great. One would think she would at least speak to him about her reasons immediately after he proposes and she rejects him? To refuse to see him for 3 months after they have been lovers and then change her mind after they finally have a discussion, well, speaks to her maturity and makes this plot seems a little silly. (hide spoiler)] 
 A Scottish Carol 3 stars 
 Again, I felt this was ruined by a story that seems silly. Dr Seton, who happens to be a viscount, proposed to the lady he loves, a lady whose father is non-titled, and her father refuses him because he has debts and marries her to another man to settle debts? Did he not think a viscount could have settled his debts for him? 
 Christmas Larks 4 stars 
 One of my favourite from this set. I love how the story started out from the confused and dazed viewpoint of Ivo, recovering from highwaymen inflicted injury. 
 In The Bleak Midwinter 3 stars 
 Kimball is an injured veteran who refuses to see his old childhood sweetheart Roxanne after sustaining injury during the war, telling her to move on. 
 The story set up was good but again all it took for things to be resolved was for the two MCs to meet. So everything again got resolved quickly and there really was not much of a plot. We spend very little time seeing them interact. Also this story totally ruined the next one - since it involved the main MC of the next story. I am not sure why they did that. 
 Old Flames Dance 2.5 stars 
 Edward is the older brother of Kimball (from the previous story). His story is vastly similar to Dr Seton's (the second story in this book/compilation). He offers for the lady (Lily)'s hand in marriage. He asked his parents for funds to help his offer as Lily's father needed money, and in this case Edward's parents (thinking he was too young to know his mind) refuses. The two meet after she has been twice widowed. You see both character's point of view and so it's no mystery they both want each other. They talk and finally (view spoiler)[she wows him in a sari and he finallh drums up the courage to propose. (hide spoiler)]. It just seems to be a little drawn out considering both character both knew how they felt about each other. 
 A Season for Marriage 3.5 stars 
 About a lady and her husband struggling to save their marriage. This was one of the more enjoyable reads, however that the hero is afraid to love (yes we have seen this character before) 
 Miss Finch and the Angel 
 I will admit at this point I really started to lose interest in the stories and skimmed this one quickly. I cannot give it a rating. However from what I did gleam of the plot I really did not want to give it a fair go. (view spoiler)[our hero falls for this lady during the story but cannot wed her due to her scandal. Then we discover it is a non issue after all for the reason that not many people know the scandal and it can be contained. Really?? (hide spoiler)] 
 Mistletoe Kisses 1 star 
 This story was my least favourite. I will forgive plausibility and realism a little for the sake of humour but if you set to write a serious novel then I expect it to be realistic for the period. I am not too picky about particular phrases being accurate just general behaviour. The heroine Allie rescues the hero John and his sister during a storm. The sister encourages her brother to kiss the woman because, well there is mistletoe. He kisses her on the lips in front of his sister. This in an era where it's consider scandalous to kiss an ungloved hand, and they have known each other but a day. Then he kisses her repeatedly each day due to this tradition -without offering for her hand or any promises. Right. And there was a part where the autbor spent paragraphs describing the heroine's nativity scene christmas decorations which was unnecessary. I felt like I was getting Christmas shoved in without any subtlety. Lucilla the sister was also annoying, I didn't find her endearing from the way she babbles on. Moreover, she was the one to instigate the kissing and then later she tells Allie not to misunderstand or get her hopes up because there is an understanding that her brother John is actually about to propose to some lady at the ball in a few days. He was not, but again this illustates how unrealistic the characters were acting for this period. A lady would not encourage kissing of that sort especially if she believes her brother was about to propose to another.