Emily Murdoch: A Christmas Surprise

Every year for thirty years Lord Robert, the Viscount of Marchwood, throws a Christmas Ball. But this year the Marchwood Christmas Ball holds extra importance.

His daughter, Lady Audrey, has just turned eighteen, and it is time for her to be introduced into society. It is Audrey’s first, best, and potentially only chance of securing a husband. Especially seeing as there are rumours that the Marchwood money is running dry.

But headstrong Lady Audrey is not sure she wants a husband. Ever since her mother died she has been left to her own devices. Though she is very close to her father, it was often the servants she turned to for companionship, particularly Thomas, who, five years older than her, was always the person she depended on for conversation.

She is not ready to leave everything she knows, and the thought of abandoning her father breaks her heart. She is determined that only someone truly special will take her away from her home. But with the ball centred around a masquerade theme, everyone is in disguise.

And a handsome stranger threatens to steal Audrey’s heart.

Could he hold the key to her heart?

And when she unmasks him will it be a good, or bad, Christmas Surprise?

A Christmas Surprise is Emily Murdoch’s first foray into the Regency world, coming from a background in medieval history. Therefore, I offered a pretty wide latitude of trips and falls in terms of “getting it right”. And I think, other than people who are regular Reg readers or students of the genre , folks will have absolutely no problem enjoying this breezy, short novella. They might even find the historical element entertaining and something out of the norm. The writing is certainly not without merit and the romance is sweet, with a fun little twist of an ending.

However….

The Regency flavor seems to be mostly hung on the heroine uttering “Stuff and nonsense!” before every thought. Catch phrases are, of course, a useful technique in character development, but when overdone it becomes silly.

I found one Amazon review of a reader who actually loved the “Stuff and nonsense!” bit, so I could just be being a grouch.

But the qualities that so clearly define a Regency Romance, (eg its not just cravats and curtsies) are fairly light on the ground. Some of that, I think, is a new author trying out a new genre. It can be a dangerous territory to negotiate. Experienced, well-published authors have been felled by phoning in the details.

But let me get to the big fat elephant in the room.

The hero is the heroine’s father’s valet.

So….there is some potential for steamy wicked servant master fantasy stuff, but this isn’t what we get. Instead, we have the love against all odds (class, education, entitlement, etc) theme.

This certainly happened in the Regency era….probably been happening since the beginning of time. But it definitely would have created scandal, not been welcomed with open arms. Not to mention he would swiftly be out of a job, which would leave him with utterly zero prospects (you are definitely not getting a character after that!). And its not just that he would’ve been sacked…what is a gently born lady supposed to do in a household while her husband is plying his trade?

There is also the practicality of it. Servants worked long hours, especially valets, who would wake up their masters and go to bed after them. In some situations, we are talking a 14+ hour day. The last thing I know I think about after a 14 hour day is romance.

Furthermore, its not a long burning passion but instead a pretty abrupt realization (at least on the part of the heroine). In part this is owing to the length–novellas are actually more challenging than people think. To condense a satisfying romance into a truncated format and make the romance believable, the characters relatable…in some ways much more difficult than a novel.

Doubtless, I could rant about the realism of this proposed love all day…but I do realize that all works of fiction don’t necessarily have to obey Anne’s Rules of Realism in the Regency. And as one GoodReads review eloquently put it this book is more of “a fairy tale rather than a historical novel.” And you know what? That is okay.

Now that I have addressed that critter with a trunk, I can move on to say that this was a quick read with likeable H/h and a nice HEA.

Its definitely a unique slant on romance in the Regency, and has the snappy cadence of a YA book that will keep readers (especially younger ones) engaged.

The Christmas element was pretty understated, so I think its readable outside the Season, but is a perfect length for squeezing in to the busy holiday months.

I can definitely see a niche of readers looking for a love story that crosses class borders, propriety, etc. and for those readers A Christmas Surprise will be a hit.

5 Stars 3 out of 6 Short Christmas theme novella with a love that overcomes the classes