Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Duke’s Daughters #4.5
Publication Date: 10/29/19
Number of Pages: 144

This is a really quick, lovely, fun Victorian Christmas story. It is well written and the characters are relatable and very sweet. You can’t go wrong with this book if you want a romantic Christmas read.

Lady Pearl Howlett is the ‘NOT’ sister. Nobody particularly notices her other than she is NOT the intelligent sister, and she is NOT the scandalous sister, etc. Even her mother doesn’t really notice her – that is how she came to be left alone in London during Christmas. Her mother just left her at the townhouse – not even noticing that she wasn’t in the carriage.

Pearl almost ran out after her mother’s carriage, but then decided not to do so. She thought it would be wonderful to be on her own and have her own adventure. After she considered all the things she could do – like skating through the hallway — she realized that she had no food in the house, no servants, and she didn’t know how to do anything for herself. She couldn’t light a fire, and she couldn’t cook even if she did have food. So, what is a girl to do? Our intrepid Pearl found a way to make it happen.

Owen Dwyfor, Earl of Llanover has come to London over Christmas for two reasons – one is that he has a leg injury and the doctor is in London and the other is that he just craves some time alone. His sisters and his mother make constant demands on him and he’d love to have some time for himself. He’s staying at his Godmother’s home, but she has visited other family for Christmas. He doesn’t have any servants either, but he does have some food – and he can build a fire – and even cook eggs for himself.

Owen and Pearl are staying in homes right next to each other and they meet out on the street where they are staying. Their adventure is fun to watch because they are really two kindred spirits designed to complete each other. I love that Pearl thinks of Owen as “his grumpy earlness”

It is definitely a light-hearted fun read and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.