ON A WINTER'S EVE by Louise Allen
Snowbound together, Lady Julia Chalcott and Captain Giles
Markham try to fight temptation. But, as Christmas draws closer, their
attraction proves too strong to resist!
Good story. Julia has returned to England from India,
after the death of her husband. She has brought her half-Indian stepdaughter
with her, hoping to give the girl a better future. She is also hoping to marry
again. Instead, she discovers that men are far more interested in her bank
account than her, and treatment of Miri has been less than honorable. So she
and Miri leave London to go to the country house that she has inherited for the
holidays. She is determined to make a plan for the future, and decides to play
down her finances until she finds someone who wants her for herself. They get
caught in a snowstorm and just a few miles from the house come across a
stranded traveler.
Giles has sold out of the army and is on his way home to
take over his inheritance. It's not something he expected or wanted, but he
knows his duty. Unfortunately his horse went lame, so he left it in a cow byre
and set off on foot. He also found a turkey stuck in a snowbank, and rather
than leave it to die, picked it up and took it with him. He was grateful to be
rescued by Julia.
When they arrive at Julia's house, it turns out no one
expected her or prepared for them. All three turn to in order to make things
livable for as long as they need to be there. Along the way, Julia and Giles
discover an intense attraction to each other. They try hard to resist. Giles knows
he can't get involved because he needs to find and marry a rich wife, and it
wouldn't be fair to Julia to lead her on. Julia is wary of all men and their
motivations. But as they spend the next
few days together, the attraction becomes harder to resist.
I loved seeing their interactions. Giles is a charming
man with a pretty wicked sense of humor. He also has a way of saying something
that on the surface seems innocent but can have a deeper meaning. Julia is a
woman who has had to become strong and self-reliant over the last several
years, so she has no problem standing up for what she wants. I loved seeing
them make the decision to make the most of their time together. Neither
expected to actually develop feelings for each other. Julia realizes that she
has what Giles needs, but doesn't get the reaction she hoped for when she
offers it. Giles is stunned by what she tells him, but reacts badly thanks to
an experience in his past. It isn't until he finishes his journey that he
admits that he overreacted. I loved his reaction to his kinswoman at the house,
and how it emphasized what he left behind. The ending was great, with Giles's
big moment being both sweet and romantic.
MARRIAGE MADE AT CHRISTMAS by Sophia James
Series: Penniless Lords (Book 5)
Christine Howard's frozen heart melts as she gets to know
her new bodyguard. How can a man so scarred and mysterious make her feel so
safe??
Good story. Christina is the younger sister of Lucien,
from Marriage Made in Rebellion. She was engaged to a man who died during the
war and has now put the idea of marriage behind her. Instead, she has devoted
her time and effort to a string of seamstress shops where she employs women who
are in desperate need. She is doing quite well, but has recently started receiving
threats telling her to stop what she is doing. She's out walking one day and
sees a man following her, which makes her nervous. A man came to her rescue,
offering to "take care" of her follower.
Will Miller is an American who has come to England following
up on a letter he received. While scoping out the sender of that letter, he is
working as a groom for a local nobleman. He comes to Christina's aid and later
brings the man that was following her to her brother's house. From that, Lucien
hires Will to be her bodyguard while she is out and about, while he sets out to
discover who is behind the threats.
I loved the developing relationship. First, there is
definite attraction between the two of them. Christina's heart has been pretty
locked up since her fiancé's death, but something about Will is awakening her
feelings. Will has his own issues with relationships after witnessing the
bitterness of his parents. I liked seeing them get to know each other during
their time in the country, as their feeling started to grow from attraction to
something more.
But there is more to Will than Christina knows, and it
turns out that there is a link between him and the person threatening her. I loved seeing how Will confronted him and
made his requirements clear. There was a twist at the end of that confrontation
that brought extra danger to Will, danger that manifested quickly. He was
attacked, beaten badly and stabbed, though he still came out on top in the
fight. I loved how Christina cared for him, and finally admitted to herself
what she felt for him.
As Will's life dramatically changes, Christina is left
wondering where she stands. I loved the scene at the ball, where Will appears
in his new role, and takes his courage in hand to dance with Christina. I loved
his big moment there, his hint of vulnerability as he goes after what he wants.
I loved her reaction. I also enjoyed the brief appearance of the other
"Penniless Lords" at the end.
CINDERELLA'S PERFECT CHRISTMAS by Annie Burrows
Shy Alice Waverly's kiss with Captain Jack Grayling makes
her wonder if he - and his little children - could be the Christmas miracle
she's always dreamed of?
Good story. Alice is the poor relation, living with her
cousins. She is basically an unpaid servant, condemned to doing whatever they
want her to do. Shortly before Christmas she comes down with a nasty cold and
rather than being cared for, all they can think about is that she not infect
them. They have been invited to a neighboring estate for a house party, to be
attended by a widowed earl. The two young ladies are determined to do whatever
necessary to snag the earl, and they want Alice there to fetch and carry for
them. Though she feels a bit guilty about it,
Alice makes out that she's sicker than she is, in hopes of being left
behind. She succeeds, leaving just her, the scullery maid, and the boot boy in
residence. A bad snowstorm hits, and a stranger comes knocking on their door,
asking for shelter.
Jack has recently sold his commission in the army and
come home to take over his inheritance. He had sent his pregnant wife and young
son back to England to her parents to protect them from harsh army conditions
during the war. His wife died, and her parents cared for the children. But when
Jack arrived, he was horrified by how his children and been treated and took them
away immediately rather than wait until he got settled. Now he and his sergeant
and the two children are caught in the storm.
Alice and the others were logically frightened by their
first sight of Jack and company, but the presence of the children rapidly
changed that. Alice feels bad that she can't offer Jack and his group better accommodations,
but she does the best she can. I loved Jack's willingness to do whatever
necessary to make it all work. There is a connection between Alice and Jack
from the beginning, not just attraction. I ached for Jack and his guilt over
what had happened with his kids. Alice is quite sensitive to his feelings and
goes to great lengths to help him connect with them and bolster his self-confidence.
I loved seeing the simple fun they all had together.
Jack is quite drawn to Alice, but he knows who he is and
what is ahead of him. As much as he'd like to, getting involved with an
innocent servant, which is what he thinks she is, wouldn't be right. However,
he does make an offer that he hopes she'll accept, and is quite upset when she
turns him down flat. Alice, not knowing his truth, was expecting quite a different offer and is
hurt by what he says. As the weather clears and Jack and company leave, he
finally sees the light. I loved his big moment at the end, especially since he
didn't know the truth about her. The ending was great, and I especially loved
her family's reaction.
No comments:
Post a Comment