This is one Christmas story you should definitely pick up. Carla Kelly brings to life a story of love and family and Christmas in a regency romance and then mixes it with intrigue and diplomacy and attempted murder that made this a book I could not put down.
We are introduced to Marian Wynswich, the girl who is trying to hold her family together after the untimely death of their father. He has left them with lots of debts and when big brother Percy comes home for the holidays, he brings with him the foul Sir William Clinghorn, who is to marry Marian’s older sister and save the family estate. This becomes more horrific to say the least, as we get to know Sir William, but also leads to some laugh out loud moments. The other guest Percy has brought is a diplomat, the Earl of Ingraham, a man with a scarred face and a mysterious air. Marian finds a friend in him as they find they have more in common than they thought.
Things take a turn and through extraordinary circumstances that made me laugh, Lord Ingraham finds himself on his way home to Bath, with Marian and her younger brother Alistair to accompany him. The plot really thickens as the mystery surrounding Lord Ingraham is slowly unraveled, and the intrigue is drawn out so much that I was turning pages into the wee hours of the morning when I should have been sleeping, just so I could see how it all ended. My only complaint was that the heroine was so young in contrast with the hero, (she’s sixteen, he’s twenty-eight) (and he called her ‘brat’ as an endearment) and I would have wished her to be even a year or two older. Other than that small issue, I really enjoyed this book.
It’s a beautiful Christmas story full of fun, with a dose of true love, and the spirit of giving. I am hoping Carla has written more stories about this family because they are delightful.
Here is the back copy:
Miss Marian Wynswich is a rather unconventional young lady. She plays chess, reads Greek, and is as educated as any young man. And she s certain falling in love is a ridiculous endeavor and vows never to do such a thing. But everything changes when she receives a Christmas visit from someone unexpected--- a young and handsome English lord
Click here to find it on Amazon (The Kindle version is currently $2.99)
3 comments:
This sounds like wonderful story, even if it wasn't set during Christmas. Thanks for the review as well as the link.
Debra, I'm sorry I wasn't more clear. It is definitely set during Christmas and is a Christmas story of wishes and love set in England. :)
I guess I wasn't the one writing clearly. The front cover left no room for doubt. Love it. And right from the beginning of the story they're talking while pulling out Christmas decorations from last year. Wow, I could never write a historical fiction. I don't think in that kind of language. Beautifully written so far. I can see romance being set up from the very first pages.
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