It should have been simple…
With one more errand to go—the purchase of a hunting falcon—Andrew Blackshear has Christmas completely under control. As his sister’s impending marriage signals the inevitable drifting-apart of the Blackshear family, it’s his last chance to give his siblings the sort of memorable, well-planned holiday their parents could never seem to provide.
He has no time to dawdle, no time for nonsense, and certainly no time to drive the falconer’s vexing, impulsive, lush-lipped, midnight-haired daughter to a house party before heading home. So why the devil did he agree to do just that?
It couldn’t be more deliciously mixed-up…
Lucy Sharp has been waiting all her too-quiet life for an adventure, and she means to make the most of this one. She’s going to enjoy the house party as no one has ever enjoyed a house party before, and in the meanwhile she’s going to enjoy every minute in the company of amusingly stern, formidably proper, outrageously handsome Mr. Blackshear. Let him disapprove of her all he likes—it’s not as though they’ll see each other again after today.
…or will they? When a carriage mishap and a snowstorm strand the pair miles short of their destination, threatening them with scandal and jeopardizing all their Christmas plans, they’ll have to work together to save the holiday from disaster. And along the way they just might learn that the best adventures are the ones you never would have thought to plan.
A very priggish sort of hero is a nice change, once in a while, from the devil may care rake. Although Blackshear is a bit over the top. Or maybe not. I was debating this in my head through the whole read—is this an accurate-ish portrayal of the Regency gentleman, or is it something else entirely?
But sometimes I think the starched up gent is the sexiest–if only because you want to ruffle their hair and loosen their cravat.
Blackshear definitely has starchy smalls.
A good thing for the reader the heroine is a bit of hoyden and the perfect opposite to attract Blackshear. She has been raised in near cloister by an affectionate and liberal minded father, and so consequently has a lot of unique perspectives and liberties while still longing for outside connections. She is still sweet, though, and thoughtful…although I wished sometimes she would be a bit naughtier, if only for comic relief.
When they meet, its the perfect storm of follies and foibles that keep pushing them together. However, its not quite funny or quirky enough to be a true romp. The follies are more seriously toned–I think in keeping with the inner turmoil of the characters who are both wanting to have the ideal Christmas. Although its a shorter novel (a bit longer than a novella) so there is not so much turmoil it becomes melodramatic.
The plot is pretty simple–opposites thrown together by circumstance and misfortunewho are forced to work together to accomplish their goals. And yea, they fall in love, ’cause it is after all a Reg Rom.
What ends up being the glue that keeps it together is its attention to setting a scene and tone. The falconry bits were interesting, and I thought a lot of the details were carefully researched which made the book entertaining and informing. For instance, there was a lot of conversation about wheelwrights and their availability that get you thinking how difficult it would be (way worse than changing a flat on the side of the freeway!) to get a quick fix on your coach.
The romance was sweet, with some tension–and although it gets a little steamy towards the end, it really gives you the sense that a man and woman with society pressures can have a truncated courtship and romance.
4 out of 6 Nicely set Christmas Reg Rom with unique hero and attention to detail.
| Content Rating/Heat Index | |
|---|---|
| Mature Content |   |
| Some talk of lightskirts, sex out of wedlock | |
| Intimacy | |
| A couple of steamy scenes at the end. | |
| Violence | |
| Not really | |
| Overall |  |
|---|---|
| Very vanilla but not completely clean. | |
