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Type of bind: Mass Market Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN num: 9780380804382
ISBN number: 0380804387
Label: Avon
Manufacturer: Avon
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 352
Printing Date: November 01, 1999
Publishing house: Avon
Release Date: November 09, 1999
Sale Popularity Level: 51646
Studio: Avon
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
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.
Amazon.com Review:
The Present finds the Malory clan gathered at their ancestral estate to celebrate the holidays. To add to the excitement, a beautifully wrapped gift has mysteriously appeared in the parlor. No one knows who placed it there and Jason Malory, the eldest and only permanent resident of Haverston, has no inkling that the intriguing package is about to change his life forever. What connection does the gaily wrapped gift have with the unmarked grave in the meadow? Was the great-great-grandmother of this generation of Malory's a Gypsy or a Russian Princess? Or both? How will the Malory clan accept the secrets revealed by this wonderful Christmas gift? The Present is a charming, warm, and amusing visit with the much-loved members of the fascinating Malory family. --Lois Faye Dyer
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers -
I'm a huge fan of the Malory novels and I wasn't disappointed with the Present. The only way this could have been better is if it would have been longer. I would have liked to know more details about the two main couples focused on in this book. But my main complaint with the Malory stories is that they end.
Rated by buyers 
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The Malory family is gathered together at Christmas in 1825. They read from a diary/journal which describes how their ancestor Christopher Malory met and married the gypsy woman Anastasia 100 years earlier. Anastasia needed to get married in a hurry to avoid a prearranged marriage to an abusive gypsy man. Her story is interesting but short. A second plot in the book is 1825 Georgina being pregnant and not wanting to tell her husband. This plot was poorly done.
As I read this book, I wondered if Johanna Lindsey truly wrote this or someone else wrote it using her name. The grammar was terrible. I don't recall this type of talk among her characters in the other Malory books, but maybe I missed it somehow. In this book, Anthony keeps saying "aint." On page 115, Christopher Malory's friend says "He don't have it." On pages 270 and 271 Derek says "It does, don't it?" and "aint". The grammar was unsettling.
Sexual content not evaluated. I read this book before I began counting sex scenes and describing the language. As I recall, it was probably mild. Setting: 1825 England and 100 years earlier. Copyright: 1998. Genre: historical romance.
For a list of my reviews of other Johanna Lindsey books, see my 5 star review of "Gentle Rogue" posted 6/14/08.
Rated by buyers -
I don't know how this book escaped my notice when it very first came out, but it did so I am reading it almost 10 years after it was published! I loved looking back at the Malorys. Each of her characters are well thought out and it was nice to "visit" with them again. It wasn't too heavy on the romance, but it was like reading a really long epiliogue ~ which is usually my favorite part of romance novels. A fun, fast read that is highly recommended!
Rated by buyers 
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I have to agree with other reviews, that this one just didn't quite meet my expectations for a JL novel. I found myself paying more attention to the Malory family members that we are already familiar with- such as James and Georginia, Tony, etc. If anything, it was nice to catch up on thier lives after the fact. I can also see where this can be a huge annoyance to anyone not familiar with the Malory novels. This book cannot be a stand-alone as any reader would get lost in the various characters.
Rated by buyers -
I was disappointed in this novel as a whole. I love the Malory series but this one had too many things going on at once, as well as terrible character development. The story of Christopher and Anna could have been so much better. It was very vague, I didn't get involved with the characters at all, and it's hard to believe the had a long and happy marriage after "suddenly" being in love when they barely spent an hour together.
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