Category: Christmas

Miss Amelia’s Mistletoe Marquess by Jenni Fletcher

On By BarbaraIn Author Collaboration Series, Barb's Reviews, Christmas, Victorian Era (1837-1901)1 Comment

Miss Amelia's Mistletoe Marquess (Mills & Boon Historical) (Secrets of a Victorian Household, Book 2)Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Manor Secrets of a Victorian Household #2
Publication Date: 11/28/19
Number of Pages: 368

This is the second book in a four-book collaboration series. Each book is written by a different author and features a different member of the Fairclough family. Lilian Fairclough, a widowed mother of three – Lottie, Amelia, and Silas – has continued to run the charitable foundation for indigent and needy women since her husband died ten years ago. The foundation is floundering and they may soon find themselves homeless. The first book in the series, Miss Lottie’s Christmas Protector by Sophia James, released November 1st and the next two will be following soon after this one.

Ten years ago, when her father died, the spontaneous, fun-loving Millie Fairclough ceased to exist and was replaced by prim, proper, staid, responsible Amelia Fairclough. She felt responsible for protecting the legacy her father left behind. She’s lovely, self-sacrificing and caring, but has no clue about the effect she has on others.

Amelia and her mother are visiting relatives when she has a bad experience at a gathering given by one of the local gentry. She’s never comfortable in those social situations and when she just needed to get out of the room for a while, the coach that was supposed to deliver her back to her relative’s house left her. Well, a walk home in the cold will just help to cool down her temper – at least until the temperature plummets and the snow starts. When she is near freezing, lost, and just can’t go any further, she sees smoke coming from a chimney and seeks sanctuary at the cottage.

Cassius Whitlock, Marquess of Falconmore, is a haunted man. He’s home from the wars in India and Afghanistan – scarred on the inside. His best friend died while he was saving Cassius’ life and then his cousin (close as a brother) died in an accident and left him a title he never wanted. Sometimes he just has to escape it all. One cold, blustery, snowy winter evening he was at his refuge when he heard a knocking on the door.

Cassius angrily jerks open the door to the cottage, expecting to see his cousin-in-law, when the lovelies snowman he’s ever seen stumbles in the door. They have no choice but to spend the night together in the cottage without the benefit of a chaperone. They spend the evening talking and sharing things they’ve told no one else. Early the next morning, she leaves and walks back to her relative’s home. They’ll never see each other again – except – someone saw her leaving and knew who was staying in the cottage – and they spread the rumor. Now, it is either marry or be ruined.

Millie and Cassius are both in need of love and support and somehow, they manage to give that to each other. It was lovely to watch them heal and find their happily ever.

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

The Earl of Scarborough: The Honorable Rogues by Collette Cameron

On By TracyIn Christmas, Georgian Era (1714-1837), Novella, Regency Era (1811-1820), Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Earl of Scarborough: The Honorable Rogues™ (Wicked Earls' Club Book 21)Earl of Scarborough: The Honorable Rogues™ by Collette Cameron
Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Wicked Earls, #21

Release Date: November 26, 2019

Ansley Twistleton, the Earl of Scarborough, is at the Wicked Earls Club pondering his dilemma, his mother wants him to host a Christmastide House Party and he finds the idea completely appalling. Ansley suffers from OCD and the thought of strangers in his home violating his rigid schedule is beyond upsetting, especially since his housekeeper wants to retire. As he is leaving he accepts an invitation to join a few of the men on a trip to Tattersall’s – because besides a housekeeper, he needs a horse! He leaves the club and decides to walk home, but he is held up – he fights his attackers and is saved from being blindsided by a woman yelling out a warning and trying to help him. Together they send the attackers fleeing and Ansley offers to walk the woman home.

Willow Harwood is an American living in London, she desperately wants to return to Connecticut and teach. She moved to England eight years ago when her father died and lived with her grandfather, but when he passed, she didn’t have enough money to return and moved to London hoping to find work. She was on her way to the lodging house when she happens upon Ansley being attacked. She helps him without thought and when she finally gets a look at him, she finds he is gorgeous! He walks her to the boardinghouse and where she is treated rudely by the owner after he leaves because she thinks Willow is Ansley’s lover. The next day she goes to an employment registry and is rejected for a position as a governess because of her American accent. She is leaving when Ansley intervenes and offers her the position of housekeeper. She declines, but he convinces her to take tea with him so they can discuss it, while at the tea shop, her land lady sees them together and tells Willow she is not to come back to the house. With nowhere to go and no income, Willow accepts Ansley’s offer and the outrageous salary.

As she settles into her new role, she comes to admire Ansley more and more, she doesn’t find him odd and accepts his need to adhere to a routine, but as time passes, he begins to relax a little. They are both attracted to the other, so much so that when he tells her his mother is coming to host a house party, she considers leaving early so she doesn’t have to see him choosing a bride. She will stay for the house party, but decides to leave right after it ends. She is finishing last minute details for the party when she hears music and finds Ansley playing – they share a kiss and he asks her to be his, she assumes that means mistress and she is going to leave when his mother finds them and Willow runs out of the room. She tries to leave immediately, but Ansley isn’t the only one who is not willing to let her go…

This was a very sweet story with delightful characters and a rather unique storyline. I loved the slow build in Ansley and Willow’s relationship and her complete acceptance of his nature. The love scenes are warm and appropriate to the story, the secondary characters are charming and the HEA is wonderful. The story is short, but it is well written, paced perfectly and very easy to read. This is part of the Wicked Earl’s Club series, but it can easily be read out of order or as a standalone title.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me.*