Meet the Author:
Bestselling and award-winning author Aubrey Wynne is an elementary teacher by trade, champion of children and animals by conscience, and author by night. She resides in the Midwest with her husband, dogs, horses, mule, and barn cats. Obsessions include wine, history, travel, trail riding, and all things Christmas. Her Chicago Christmas series has received the Golden Quill, Aspen Gold, Heart of Excellence, Maggie award, and thrice nominated as a Rone finalist by InD’tale Magazine. Aubrey’s first love is medieval romance but after dipping her toe in the Regency period in 2018 with the Wicked Earls’ Club, she was smitten. This inspired her spin-off series Once Upon a Widow. In 2020, she will launch the Scottish Regency series A MacNaughton Castle Romance with Dragonblade Novels.
About the Book:
Add to Goodreads
Giveaway:
- A signed copy of Earl of Sunderland + $10 Amazon Gift Card
Barbara’s Review
Well, color me gobsmacked! Had you told me that I would actually enjoy a Christmas story that begins with a suicide, I would have laughed at you. However, that is exactly what happened with this novella. Kudo’s to the author who managed to pull that off.
Nicholas (not sure I learned his last name), Earl of Darby, does not celebrate Christmas and hasn’t for the last five years. Not since his wife, Alice, committed suicide on their wedding night – which was Christmas Eve. What he learned that night has driven him for the five years since – and he’s getting closer to revenge and justice – he can just feel it. Not only did he lose his wife and his love of Christmas that night, but he also lost all trust in any female – save his sweet, innocent sister, Mattie. Now, he confines his interactions with women to his mistresses.
Hannah Pendleton is looking forward to her first season. The balls, the excitement and maybe even garnering the regard of the man she has admired all of her life, Gideon, Earl of Stanfield. Hannah is a lovely person – inside and out. When her brother introduces her to Nicholas, one of his best friends, she immediately befriends his shy sister who is also having her first season.
Hannah’s brother has asked Nicholas to keep an eye out for Hannah because he has to return to his country estate to await the birth of his child. Since Nicholas will be seeing after his own sister, Hannah won’t be any additional burden. Or will she? When she catches the eye of a predator, Nicholas knows he has to be doubly vigilant – especially since that same predator is the one who caused his wife’s suicide.
It was lovely to watch Hannah work her magic on Nicholas – without even meaning to do so. The romance was lovely and the characters were memorable. I found myself rooting for them from the very beginning. Then, when you add in a lovely second-chance romance as well as a villain getting his just desserts – well – that is a pretty good read!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Flippin' Pages Book Reviews 