Book review : A Holiday by Gaslight by Mimi Matthews

A Holiday by Gaslight by Mimi Matthews

GENRE: #Victorian-Christmas-novella #clean-romance
My rating: ★★★★★

I loved it!!
It deserves a full 5 stars because it's a sweet love story, full of Christmassy atmosphere and somehow connected to real historical facts, events, and fashions of the Victorian era.

Before telling you about my feelings about reading it,
here are a few words ABOUT THE PLOT:

Sophie Appersett's father is nearly bankrupt due to his ambition to renovate his manor with all the modern conveniences of the Victorian era, starting with gaslight.
Therefore, he has accepted the courtship of Sophie by Ned Sharpe, a very wealthy young man thanks to his trade, but not of the noble class.

Sophie is willing to sacrifice her happiness to help the family, but after two months of courtship by the charming, yet silent and shadowy Ned, she no longer feels at ease and decides to break off the engagement. But something shines through his hurtful and harsh words...
Perhaps she is mistaken about his lack of feelings for her? And will he be able to win her sensitive heart?

___________ ********* ____________
MY OPINION:

I loved everything about this short (but thankfully not _too_ short) Christmas story set in a Victorian setting.

____ MAIN CHARACTERS:

I find Ned and Sophie to be a truly well-matched pair, although the initial lack of communication might make our heroine _seem_ otherwise.

NED managed to make me fall in love. Sure, he's tall and handsome, but what touched my heart was his almost childish desire to behave exactly as etiquette dictated, just to make a good impression on the girl who had struck him from the first time they met.

I was touched by his hurt feelings, as a boy who grew up working, who is now a very rich young man, but knows perfectly well that he will never be accepted and valued equally by people of aristocratic rank who mistakenly believe themselves better than the working class.

I was struck by the delicacy with which he approached Sophie – the kind gestures, the smiles, a candid kiss first, then with more passion... he was very sweet even in the moments when he withdrew into himself and was worthy of our heroine from the beginning to the happy ending.

SOPHIE is the classic beauty who doesn't believe she's as beautiful as her spoiled and pampered younger sister, for whom she sacrifices herself, skimping on her clothes and other things, so that her sister can have a fantastic season in London marrying a titled man.

Even though she agreed to marry a wealthy merchant to help her family, she's not at all interested in the life of the noble circle and certainly doesn't judge her suitor disparagingly. Rather, she's disappointed by the lack of warmth and communication that the silent Ned has shown her over two months of formal communication, strictly following the strict rules of good society.

What I liked most about her is the courage she showed in taking a step back from her decision and, ignoring the rules, coming forward, demanding honesty and complete openness from him so they can get to know each other better.
Sophie is not only a good daughter but also a good sister. She knows perfectly well how spoiled and often insensitive her sister is, yet she continues to protect and help her.

A classic trope of Renaissance and Victorian romances, that of the bitchy, selfish, and self-centered sister.
I confess that even though it's Christmas, for once I would have liked to see the younger sister, the spoiled one, considered by everyone to be the prettiest, _not_ have a happy ending, but be punished, while the heroine enjoys true happiness.
Mimi Matthews, the author, is kinder than I am and has given the story a happy ending even for the undeserving sister.

The growth of Ned and Sophie's feelings for each other is gradual, but I enjoyed it, and it moved me.


____ HISTORICAL CONNECTIONS:

I love historical fiction, but let's face it, in Regency or Victorian romances, there's usually little or nothing historical, except the descriptions of hairstyles and clothing.
The pleasant surprises of this story were the small connections to the real situation of the time: modernization with the advent of gaslight and running water, the death of Prince Albert and the custom of Christmas trees he introduced, the marriages between the titled poor and the nouveau riche.
You'll find some further explanation in the author's historical notes.


_____ CHRISTMAS ATMOSPHERE:

5 stars also for this unexpected aspect (I hate it when they put the word "Christmas" or something related in the title, but then there's nothing Christmassy about it, except that the story takes place during the Christmas season).
Here you'll find the decorations, the hikes through the snow to find mistletoe, the games among the guests, the Christmas ball, and the sleigh ride.
It's a short story, so unfortunately everything is described briefly, but it's enough to let the reader savor a sweet and sparkling Christmas atmosphere.


_____ IN CONCLUSION:

A decidedly Christmassy clean romance and highly recommended.
This is my first time reading Mimi Matthews, but I can't wait to read more by this author!

Thanks for stopping by and reading my opinion.


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Book review : An Affair at Christmastide by Sandra Sookoo

An Affair at Christmastide
a Mary and Bright novel book #1
by Sandra Sookoo
GENRE: #Christmas-cozy-mystery-romance #RegencyChristmas

My rating: ★★☆☆☆
Disappointing !

---> Recommended only for readers interested in steamy romance.
If you are a mystery reader don't waste your time with this.

I was so happy to start a new mystery-romance series and after having appreciated a short story by this author I was expecting to find a good mystery to be solved and a sweet and exciting romance and a nice Christmas atmosphere...
... But some romance writers should stick to romance novels and leave mysteries to those who are more competent at writing them.

__PLOT IN SHORT __ The widow Mary Tomlinson has been living as a recluse in her brother's house for some time to take care of him and her young niece, when one day she has to accompany the girl to a ball.
The ball takes place at the house of a count with whom she lost her virginity as a young woman, only to be abandoned when he was due to marry.

Inspector Gabriel Bright is the brother of the count who hosts the ball, he too is invited to the party as a companion for his twenty-year-old son.
The inspector is also a widower and like Mary has suffered a huge disappointment in the love field.

A mutual attraction instantly sparkles between the two companions and at the ball everything seems fun until an obnoxious butler is found dead.
____________*********____________

I think the story had great potential to be a good book, unfortunately it isn't well developed : 

1) CHRISTMAS ATMOSPHERE = non-existent. If one of the purposes of the book is to "be Christmassy" and the word Christmas is also in the title, then the fact that Christmas is only mentioned in words and there is no Christmas atmosphere, in my opinion it's a flaw !

MORE IMPORTANT : IF ONE WANTS TO WRITE A MYSTERY, ONE MUST ALSO KNOW HOW TO DO IT !!!

2) MYSTERY = not at all well thought and and too many things are so wrong :
--> The Main Male Character, despite being an inspector, takes charge of a murder case that occurred in his brother's house.
Worse: his son was seen by everyone with the weapon in his hands and he's the prime suspect.
How is it possible that this inspector can (on his own initiative, without any permission from Scotland Yard) take on the responsibility of investigating? CONFLICT OF INTEREST!! UNACCEPTABLE
---> Furthermore, he declares that he can only trust himself. I asked myself : WHO MUST ENSURE OTHERS THAT HE IS NOT CORRUPT?
---> Then he names the woman he kissed (another guest of the house which had a past with the owner of the house where happened the murder ) as his assistant in the investigation...

ALL GUESTS ARE SUSPECTS AND MORE SHE ALSO HAD A SOLID MOTIVE TO MURDER THE MAN.
Then the suspect's father, brother of the owner of the house where the murder took place, investigates the murder together with another potential culprit... CRAZY THINGS!! AGAIN UNACCEPTABLE


---> The author also points out that they take everything with gloves and a handkerchief...BUT THE STORY TAKES PLACE IN 1818, THERE WAS STILL NO OPTION TO VERIFY FINGERPRINTS !!
---> His son, found with the bloody knife in his hand, is only 20 years old, if he is not the killer then he found the body...he is presumed to be upset...YET HIS FATHER, THE INSPECTOR, SENDS HIM TO THE ROOM AND FOR OVER 2 DAYS AND IGNORE HIM (without questioning him and without going to see how he is), BUT THE SAME FATHER FINDS THE TIME TO QUESTION 2 OTHER GUESTS (and not his son) AND FLIRT( + ALMOST HAVING SEX ON THE DESK IN THE STUDY ) with a woman he just met.

Hot kisses and sex are entirely inappropriate in that dramatic moment... SHOULDN'T HE WORRY ABOUT HIS YOUNG SON?
Well in 2 days neither the hero nor the heroine of the novel cared about him. Disgusting.
Everything in this book is focused on the attraction between the two MC and their hunger for sex.

---> Another stupid thing:
When they finally question the boy together... suddenly the twenty year old boy (who has an excellent relationship of affection and friendship with his father, as the author shows us in some initial scenes) looks scared and intimidated by his father as if he were a stranger and was too strict and for every movement and response he ( the boy ) seeks comfort in the woman, a stranger he has just met, like if he were a 6 year old little boy as if he's known her forever... it's just ridiculous and it conflicts with everything that was written before. RIDICULOUS!!!

---> Then at a certain point the author has the Female Main Character, who is neither a doctor nor an investigation expert, check the dead man... and she examines the corpse like a professional, while the inspector (with 20 years of experience) stands there, staring at her in amazement like an open-mouthed idiot.

The author justifies everything by saying that the protagonist is a reader of crime novels... SO ONE BECOME AN EXPERT PATHOLOGISTS ONLY BECAUSE IS USED TO READ MYSTERY NOVELS ????? ...Come on, this isn't believable even in fiction

MORE : I remember you that they are in 1818, they had not mystery books so explicative as nowadays mystery books like CSI tv series ( and even nowadays I doubt one could know so much only by reading or watching tv ).

  :-(( Of course the book is full of other bullshit that made me very nervous and ruined the reading, but it would take me too long to list them all.

3) ROMANCE = The romantic part looks more like a contemporary romance than one set in the early 1800s.
Audacity in main characters behaviour and double-meaning dialogues that would have been funny in a contemporary brilliant comedy, in my opinion are not so plausible in the Regency era (it is 1818), at least not for a woman who spent 10 years as a spinster, acting as governess in the house of the brother.
---> It looks like the author was inspired by some modern films and adapted dialogues to a regency romance.

---> Furthermore :the book begins by showing the two protagonists respectively as lonely and partnerless people for the last 10 years, disappointed and deeply hurt by those they had loved in the past and almost on every page it is underlined that they will never openly trust someone else again.Suddenly they collide in the carriage house, without even seeing her face he feels the shape of a woman and instinctively kisses her, she feels the hard chest of a man and responds to the kiss by putting her arms around his neck.

Well... I admit that after 10 years of solitude they are hungry for stronger emotions and even sex, but two people who have been alone for ten years wouldn't be so uninhibited, they would be rather awkward, furthermore two people who fear suffering again don't throw themselves in each other's arms so immediately and with such an hot passion as these two.
I find this hardly believable!
 
The plot is full of inconsistencies and seems to be written specifically for readers who want nothing more than to read spicy love scenes and are not interested in everything else.

I WILL NOT READ OTHER BOOKS IN THIS SERIES.

Thanks for reading my opinion and please forgive my bad English, since it's not my native language.

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Book review : The Theft Before Christmas by Cheryl Bolen

The Theft Before Christmas
The Regent Mysteries book #3
by Cheryl Bolen
GENRE: #Christmas-cozy-mystery-romance #Regency-novella

My rating: ★★★☆☆
Real rating 2.5 rounded up to 3 stars

Short story that combines mystery and romance in the Regency era.
I chose it as a read because I love this mix and the time of year it is set in is Christmas.

__PLOT IN SHORT __ Christmastide. Regency England.
Captain Dryden and his wife Lady Daphne are held in high regard by the Prince Regent, as they helped foil dangerous plans against the country and the crown.
Just as they are preparing to go and spend Christmas with her aristocratic family, they are called by her highness.
A famous statuette given to him by the King of Spain has disappeared and it is important to find it in time for the King's visit, to avoid a political clash.

Meanwhile, a friend of the captain and a young aristocratic girl under the protection of Lady Daphne remain alone and without a chaperone waiting for the Dryden couple. United by concern for their friends, they discover that they are very attracted to each other.
______________

This Christmas novella is book #3 in a series of mystery-romance novels ( THE REGENT MYSTERIES ), but the good news is that it can be read as a standalone, in fact the author has fully managed to illustrate to the reader the situation regarding the bonds between the various characters, their way of being/their way of think and how they got to where they are in the book.

The bad news however is that being a short story it should have focused more on one of the 2 themes and less on the other.
---> Let me explain better:

In a 230/300 page novel the author has plenty of time to develop a romantic bond between 2 characters and develop an intricate and well thought out mystery that keeps the reader on their toes.

Since the novella is much shorter than the novel, considering that a part of the pages must be dedicated to introducing the characters and situations of the previous books) everything is done more quickly and if the remaining space is divided between the budding love story and a mystery to investigate, each of the two themes will have even less chance of being developed.

The result is that the mystery is stupid and inconsistent, it lacks suspense, the investigative questions are boring and repetitive, the solution is obvious and the reader is left with the feeling of having read thin air.

The love story borders on the absurd. I admit that at that time engagements and marriages were decided much less quickly than in our times, but the fact that the two characters fall madly in love after just 2 days together does not give the reader any emotion.

There is no pathos in this story, neither in the mystery nor in the romance and perhaps it could still be a nice story to read for those who are already fond of the two protagonists of the series (a couple who are consolidated in this book, but who seemed equally unlikely), but I confess that if I were an avid reader of this series, I would still have been disappointed.

However, I'm still curious to read the novels of the series, the general plot is promising.
I will try to give book #1 a chance, to see if starting from the beginning I will have a greater chance of becoming attached to the characters and enjoying reading all the volumes.
This short story that is book #3 might help you to get to know a little about the protagonist couple of the series The Regent Mysteries.

Thanks for reading my opinion and please forgive my English ( not my native language ).
Happy holidays to you all !!

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Book review : The Twelve Saints of Christmas by Karen Baugh Menuhin

The Twelve Saints of Christmas
Heathcliff Lennox Mysteries Book #12
by Karen Baugh Menuhin
GENRE: #Christmas-cozy-mystery

My rating: ★★★★☆
Actually 3,7 stars rounded up to 4.

---> If you love classic Golden Age mysteries, then you might like this one even if written by a contemporary author.

In fact, the writing style is very reminiscent of that of "whodunits" from the first half of the 20th century with a very small addition of humor and a little more coziness which in this book is given by the affectionate bond that the two protagonists feel towards their wives, and by the cheerful presence of 3 cats and 1 dog who liven up the scenes from time to time.

__PLOT IN A NUTSHELL ___ England, December 1923.
Major Heathcliff Lennox (ex-RAF pilot) and ex-Inspector Jonathan Swift of Scotland Yard are not at all 2 elderly people as one might expect, but rather 2 charming young people interested in investigating crimes and mysteries, who work for Scotland Yard only for cases involving very wealthy people.

Shortly before Christmas Lennox (who always travels together with his butler and his beloved pets, a dog and a cat) and his best friend Swift are sent by Scotland Yard to shed light on a strange death that occurred at Temple House, near Bath.

Temple House is run by a secret order of old aristocrats who call themselves "The 12 Saints", each of whom has no heirs and who have the common goal of giving money to needy organizations every Christmas.

The two pseudo-investigators must shed light on the death of one of the saints, the circumstances of which are unclear and lead to suspicion of murder.
The perfect harmony soon turns out to be only an external image, in fact jealousies and old secrets emerge which lead to another murder and a very complicated mystery to unravel.

_________ ****** ___________

The writing style is fluid, the dialogues are witty and always aimed at explaining the story of the moment or the private story of the two main characters, there are no stupid digressions and stupid useless chatter as in many contemporary mysteries set in the 1920s.

The story is told in the third person and one of the things I appreciated in the investigative couple is that both characters have equal weight and ability (and sometimes even confusion) in the investigation.

---> I hate the old cliché that sees the main character as super intelligent (and also presumptuous like Sherlock and Poirot, whose books I adore, but in this kind of detective the two of them are enough for me) and his "trusty right-hand man" is slow on the uptake ( like Dr. Watson and Hasting poor things).

Here the investigative couple continuously interacts on an equal basis and I really liked the friendship that binds the two characters and the loyalty towards each other that arises from it.

---> This is book #12 in a series where the two protagonists are initially single and then over the course of the books they find their soul mate and then get married, however the romance is subtle and barely hinted at (as in the detective books of Agatha Christie and his contemporaries) however sufficient to give humanity and to make the two characters more real and to give more warmth to the plot.

---> Although the book is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone. What you need to know about the past of our protagonists is told in a concise and light, but satisfying way.

----> The mystery is very well thought out by the author and until the end I would never have guessed the real culprit.
---> The author's skill lies in creating various hypotheses in the reader's mind that always seem plausible, but which ultimately turn out to be inaccurate.
The culprit was really a surprise to me.

---> What lowered my rating was the fact that the two investigators also stumbled in the dark until the end (and I was also surprised by this!).

In fact, despite carrying out several interrogations, the two are often accused of being incompetent and although they kept a cool head in the face of these offenses and pretended to be close to the truth, in reality they too only discovered the culprit in the final scene.
Maybe a little more cunning in the two characters wouldn't have hurt.

----> What I loved 200%, being a great animal lover, was the constant and lively presence of 3 cats (1 was from Lennox and 2 lived in Temple House) and 1 dog (also from Lennox).
Obviously they had nothing to do with the investigation, but seeing them sprawl here and there, tearing ribbons and baubles from the Christmas tree, sleeping curled up around Lennox, made reading the book more pleasant and serene for me.

I really think I will read more books in the series and next time I will start from book #1.

----> :-( Christmas atmosphere = barely perceptible
(and that little only thanks to the pets).
This also contributed to lowering my rating, in fact, as I always write in my reviews, if the word CHRISTMAS appears in the title, then I expect a festive atmosphere.

Thanks for reading my opinion, I hope it could be useful to you for choosing or discarding this reading.
If you found English errors in my text, please forgive me, it's neither my native nor my every day language.

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Book review : A Fowl Christmastide by Sandra Sookoo

A Fowl Christmastide
12 Days of Christmas Book #3
by Sandra Sookoo
GENRE : #Regency-Christmas-romance #novella

My rating: ★★★★★

Such a lovely and sweet short story!
My rating is 5 full stars !!

It's a clean romance which includes a short kiss under the mistletoe and another longer and more conscious, but still very tender kiss.

The emotion of the story lies above all in the expectation and anticipation of the arrival of love for two people who by now almost no longer dared to hope for the radiance of a future with a life partner (wife/husband) and in the possibility of having children.

The happy ending is very nice and satisfying in all respects.

__NOT ONLY ROMANCE ___ This is a cheerful story that talks about budding love and the courage to take up the challenge, but also about brotherly love and unreserved sacrifice, acceptance, generosity and sharing.


__ THE PLOT IN SHORT __ England, regency era.
Miss Isabelle Fletcher and Evan Nicholas Radcliff, Baron of Hastings, have been neighbors for some years.
They meet almost every day because her chickens leave their henhouse and invade his garden. He usually reacts gruffly but actually lives for those brief meetings.

Belle also feels attracted to him, but is always put off by the fact that he speaks to her in a surly way.
Until one day, on Christmas Eve the little rebellious hens unknowingly unleash a small (but great) miracle...
___________________

The plot could suggest the usual romantic regency story, but in a delicate and light way it also addresses a very important theme: the difficulties that families of children with particular needs often encounter when they find themselves faced with a superficial and hypocritical society that does not accept the differences or the different emotional sensitivity of other people and who does not make the slightest effort to help these children integrate into the world.

In the Regency era, obviously there was no talk of autism, but the character description of Freddy, Nick's younger brother, closely resembles that type of mental and emotional condition.
So the story was very sweet and delicate in this sense too, giving relevance to the infinite affection and dedication that Nick has for his young brother.

The CHRISTMAS MAGIC of the story is completed with Nick's altruistic gesture for children without families and Belle's sincere admiration and her equally sincere desire to help.

The two MAIN CHARACTERS are both positive and pleasant to read.
Even though the story is short and the possibilities of description are few, through the vivid dialogues the two characters came to life in a believable way and the lively scenes kept me entertained with fun.

There are 2 SUPPORTING CHARACTERS:
Belle's father, a vicar who with faith and sweetness encourages his daughter not to stop hoping and Nick's joyful brother, who with the spontaneity of a child (despite already being an adult) immediately conquers not only Belle's heart, but also that of the reader.

*****_________ ******

This is book #3 in a series of Christmas stories (12 Days of Christmas Series) by different authors and therefore each book is a standalone story.

This is the first time I've read anything by Sandra Sookoo and I can't wait to read something else by her.

Thanks for reading my opinion and please forgive any errors in my text, English is a foreign language to me.

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Book review : Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas by Stephanie Barron

Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas
Being a Jane Austen Mystery Book #12
by Stephanie Barron
GENRE : #Regency-Christmas #Historical-cozy-mystery

My rating: ★★★★★

A delightful immersion in the world of Jane Austen and an engaging historical cozy mystery from start to finish!

I had it on my shelf for a few years and I always put off reading it, perhaps for fear of disappointment, after all, as we know, it's not easy to combine fiction with real-life historical characters, mixing them in an intelligent and intriguing way, especially when writing about figures much loved and known throughout the world.

Stephanie Barron did it very well and I think Jane Austen herself would enjoy reading this mystery series starring herself not only as an esteemed author but also as an amateur detective.

__ PLOT IN SHORT ___ Christmas Eve, England 1814.
Jane Austen has been invited to spend the holidays with family and friends at The Vyne, the splendid Tudor mansion, now belonging to the wealthy and politically important Chute family. As the year comes to an end and friends begin to gather under the mistletoe for the twelve days of Christmas festivities, Jane and her circle are in a celebratory mood: Jane's books are popular and she enjoys a good reputation; Napoleon is in exile on the island of Elba; British forces have captured Washington, D.C. and the Treaty of Ghent has been signed, ending a war that no one in England really wanted.
However, when a messenger arrives with a written copy of the treaty and also brings personal news for some guests, tragedy strikes: shortly after his departure he is found dead in the snow... the scene and some clues reveal that it is a crime ...political or for private matters?
The previous day's snowstorm also makes it clear that the killer is necessarily one of The Vyne's guests, some of whom hide dark secrets.
Except for her immediate family, Jane doesn't know who to trust...

_______________

To tell the truth, I wanted to start from book #1, but since we are in Christmastime , I started with this one straight away, (it's number #12 in the series ), but each book can be read as a standalone, even if obviously they have been written with a chronological order of Jane's life and historical facts.
Of course, if you are a reader who knows nothing about Jane Austen, you will probably have a clearer picture of the times in which she lived, the events that influenced her existence and emotions and therefore also her literature, and the family and friends she she felt deeply connected, reading all the books in the right order.

__ INTRIGUING MURDER MYSTERY __
If I have to analyze the part concerning the mystery of the murders and the investigation I must admit that I liked it because it was well blended with the whole story in a curious and intriguing way, but it may not fully satisfy those who instead focus mainly on the difficulty of solving the mystery and on the capture of the guilty.

Initially we had several suspects, but then following the clues and going through obvious exclusions (clearly Jane's family and all the real-life characters couldn't be the culprits), the suspects for me were reduced to 3 people.
While reading, some conjectures came to me spontaneously, but you will be happy to know that while I thought I had already understood everything, actually I had only intuited a few small things and not the entirety of the facts which therefore managed to surprise me.
What disappointed me a little and what I usually don't forgive authors is the punishment reserved for the villains of the story.

IF YOU DON'T MIND SPOILERS READ DOWN BELOW a better explication :

___WARNING SPOILER __ [ I have to put this in the spoiler tag, but I can't help but say it: in reality there are 2 murderers and both remain UNPUNISHED!!!
One manages to escape and for the other there is no tangible evidence to present in court.
I can't stand this.

Usually I remove a star in my rating for this type of ending... I can't stand reading and watching crime films where I wait anxiously to know the truth, only to find myself with the culprit who gets away with it!!

In this case I still gave 5 stars, because the tale told is so rich in Jane Austen and her world and satisfied me so much that not catching the murderers didn't ruin my enjoyment. ] __SPOILER END__

INTERESTING HISTORICAL NOTIONS about FACTS and CHARACTERS _
Most of the characters in this book actually existed:
-- Jane's family: the mother and the beloved sister Cassandra, the slightly bigoted brother the vicar James and the unbearable and complaining wife, the two nice and lively nephews. Jane does not fail to speak proudly of her two brothers in the navy Frank and Charles, her brother Henry and her brother Edward, she even mentions her childhood flirt, her sister's dead boyfriend and other dear friends
-- acquaintances and friends whose homes she frequented even in real life
-- the son of a famous painter who in this book will join Jane in the investigations

The author respects the true personality of those people and manages to insert them into an invented plot, placing them alongside other invented characters, in a fluid manner, making everything appear absolutely plausible and therefore credible.
No cracks and no discordance.

Stephanie Barron also gives us descriptions of places and buildings that can still be visited today.
I read Austen's books when I was young and I loved each of them. I also read various articles about her life, but as I said it was a long time ago and I have never read a biography of her so this was an opportunity to get interested in her private life and I felt so involved that I felt like I was there, in Jane's world at her side.

While reading the book I also read a lot of letters between Jane and Cassandra and between Jane and the brothers and between the brothers themselves, to better understand the bond that united them. Also on the web I visited the ancient Tudor mansion "The Vyne" ( where the mystery takes place ) and took a look at Steventon Parsonage and the town of Chawton. I loved it.

The author has done a masterful job in harmoniously blending fiction and real characters and just like Austen did in her books, she manages to outline the essence of each character through their dialogues.

VERY NICE REGENCY ATMOSPHERE and CHRISTMAS HABITS __

When I choose a Christmas book, it is important for me that the Christmas atmosphere is really felt and is not just a word mentioned in the title.

Even from this point of view I was fully satisfied.
In Regency era, as many probably know, the customs and traditions for celebrating Christmas came from ancient Celtic traditions, very different therefore from the Germanic ones which were introduced later by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
Then the author, through Jane's voice, told us about the 12 days of Christmas, about the Yule log, which burned in the fireplace for all those days, about the decorations made of holly, ivy and rosemary, about the masquerade ball at Twelfth Night in which various particular characters are represented by the guests and in which the world literally turns upside down: those who command and are high on the social ladder find themselves obeying, commanded by those who are usually among the humblest.
The part dedicated to Jane and Cassandra's gift for their granddaughter was also beautiful, a gift that was enriched every morning of the 12 days.

***** ___ *****

I loved this book and I recommend it not only to anyone who loves Jane Austen, but to any lover of a good cozy mystery and historical sets.

Thanks for reading my opinion, I hope it could be useful to you without revealing too much.
Please forgive any errors in my text, English is not my native language.

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Book review : Mrs. Holloway's Christmas Pudding by Jennifer Ashley

Mrs. Holloway's Christmas Pudding
A Below Stairs Mystery Novella #6.7
by Jennifer Ashley
GENRE: #Christmas-cozy-mystery #historical-mystery

My rating: ★★★★☆
Actually 3.8 rounded up to 4 stars

A short and very enjoyable Christmas mystery novella.

This short story is part of a mystery series ( indeed book #6.7 ) set in England at the end of 19th century, but it's perfectly readable as a standalone.

The peculiarity of the series is that the main character is not part of the rich and noble society, but is the cook in an aristocratic house, which is why the title of the series is:
" A Below Stairs Mystery Series".

___PLOT__ December 1882
When Cook Kat Holloway is blamed when a dinner guest mysteriously takes ill after eating one of her meals, she sets out to prove she had nothing to do with the gentleman’s sickness.

Helped by her closest friends, she investigates the patient's family and acquaintances, thus discovering that there are many who have a valid motive to kill.

In the meantime, Kat must also manage to prepare an impeccable Christmas meal and who knows what Christmas Day will hold for her together with her daughter and Daniel who cares so much about her...

________ ******** ________

Even though I hadn't read the previous books (which were mostly longer novels), I still managed to enjoy the story and understand the role of each character. The author was in fact very good at describing their personality and what binds them to the protagonist.

As I already said, the story is short and can be read in a couple of afternoons, but it is intriguing enough to make you want to read all the other books and find out more about the various CHARACTERS:
- Kat, a skilled cook, single mother with a great love for her daughter who is raised by another family.
- Daniel, her friend and lover, skilled in disguises and undercover operations and her young son James, affectionate and kind, skilled and cunning like his father.
- The terrible, grumpy and overbearing landlady and Lady Cinthia, her niece, modern, friend of Kat and kind to the servants, loves dressing as a man and is reckless.
- The rest of the staff under the stairs and other friends who never fail to help Kat in the investigation.

The final part of the story is reserved not only for the solution of the case but also for a sweet and convivial Christmas atmosphere, thus giving the reader that touch of goodness and magic that each of us seeks when approaching a story set at Christmas.

Thanks for reading my opinion and please be lenient with my English as it is not my native language.

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Book review : The Case of the Ghost of Christmas Morning by P.J. Fitzsimmons

The Case of the Ghost of Christmas Morning
Anty Boisjoly Mysteries Book #2
by P.J. Fitzsimmons
GENRE: #Christmas-cozy-mystery

My rating: ★★★★☆
Actually 3,8 stars rounded up to 4.

Very nice "Whodunit" set in 1920s England and written in a bit of Wodehouse's style.
Overall I liked it "a lot", actually very much!

_____PLOT__ 1928, England.
Anthony ( Anty) Boisjoly goes to spend the Christmas holidays with his shy aunt Azalea in the small, picturesque village of Graze Hill, Hertfordshire.

Unfortunately, Christmas day immediately begins in a negative way: Aunt Azalea visits a friend in the village, a well-known war hero, and finds him dead, stabbed, under the Christmas tree.
The village policeman immediately insinuates that the only probable culprit is Anty's aunt and the commissioner sent by Scotland Yard will do the same.
Anty has nothing left but to work hard to find the real culprit in order to clear her aunt.
____________________

It took me a little while to appreciate this book, but once I got over my initial difficulty to get into it I began to grow fond of the main character and started to laugh at his way of telling the story: with irony and humor.
The entire story, the events, the mystery and its solution are in fact told in first person by the protagonist and while in the first part the MYSTERY didn't look so enthralling ( and I also felt a little annoyed by the constant humorous jokes), in the second part it became very engaging and wittily thought out by the author.

I really liked how the protagonist put together all the pieces of the puzzle (which was really complicated) and the final explanation of the murders solution, the ending indeed was beautiful and very satisfying!!

The DIALOGUES are witty and lively, with some really funny scenes, to the point that sometimes I found myself laughing out loud!.
I think this character and the book series would be a great idea for a BBC miniseries.

There aren't many CHARACTERS, but they aren't few either and in the first part I found myself a little confused and none of them stood out in a particular way among the others.
As the story gradually got to the heart of the mystery, however, everyone's bizarre personality was finally highlighted and that was the point where everything became more interesting and I hoped that none of the good guys (or supposedly good guys) would die and that none of those I liked were the culprit.

...And talking about the CULPRIT:
I was never able to guess until it was revealed by Anty!!
Therefore the ENDING WAS EVEN MORE ENJOYABLE and the writer, in addition to the mystery's solution, added a personal happy ending to each character.

__ CHRISTMAS ATMOSPHERE __
There are many books of various genres with the word "Christmas" in the title (or Yuletide or Mistletoe or similar), but there are very few of these that offer a Christmas atmosphere.
This fun "whodunit" didn't fail me!
I enjoyed immersing myself in the welcoming atmosphere of the snow-covered English village, magical and cozy like the one on the postcards.
The author was very good at the descriptions and the mulled wine in the pub, the typical church of the small village, the singing of the carol dedicated to Saint Stephen (although a little bizarre and hilarious) and the preparations for the final party help the reader to breathe a festive atmosphere

This is book #2 in a series (of which I will read the following books and maybe even the first), BUT IT IS PERFECTLY READABLE AS A STANDALONE.

RECOMMENDED TO all those who love reading the classics of the Golden Age
(even if this is written by a contemporary author) and to all those who want a well-conceived puzzle made more tantalizing by the addition of irony and humor.

Thanks for reading my opinion and please forgive any errors in my text, English is not my native language.

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Book review : Christmas on the Home Front by Roland Moore

Christmas on the Home Front
Land Girls book #3
by Roland Moore
GENRE : #Christmas-war-time-fiction

My rating: ★★★☆☆
Actually 3.5 is my rating.

Looking for a historical romance? Then skip to another book!
Looking for a fiction with strong and stubborn women and a bit of suspense ? Then it could be the book for you.

__PLOT IN SHORT ___ England. Christmas 1944
All the land girls of Pasture Farm, Connie Carter, Joyce Fisher and Esther Reeves hope this could be the last Christmas of this dreaded war.
But as the day approaches, word spreads in sleepy Helmstead that two German Airmen are on the run.
With everyone on alert, the atmosphere is tense and at a certain point the situation becomes really heated because the girls will find themselves face to face with the enemy...

________ *** _______ *** ________

Usually this kind of book/series offers passionate love stories with a little drama, set in times of war... It was what I expected together with a Christmas atmosphere made of simple things, deep feelings and emotions and touching moments involving not only the couple protagonist, but also the other side characters.

None of this!
Unexpectedly, this book led me to experience an adventure made up of reckless women, suspense and danger alternating with a little action, two villains, one of whom is declared and the other sneaky and hidden in the shadows and a nice (and absolutely unexpected) surprise in the happy ending.
All of this made it an ENGAGING and exciting READ.

__ MAIN CHARACTERS ___ the protagonists of this book are 3 girls who work on a farm during the war, they were in fact "Land Girls" (those girls and women, coming from all social classes, who replaced male farm workers who had gone to war.)

I really liked the atmosphere of camaraderie that formed between these women and girls, of different ages, who found themselves united in a common effort to help their country.
I liked the atmosphere of sacrifice mixed with the anxiety of the uncertainty of the future, because nowadays (at least in Western countries and not at war) we take everything for granted and we complain about every little thing and every little lack, not thinking that life is just a flutter of wings.
I liked seeing how these women, despite everything, were animated by tenacity, good will and resilience and I liked seeing how they took the position head on, but always thinking first of not endangering the people they loved.

__ WHY ONLY 3 (actually 3.5 rounded down to 3 ) STARS THEN ? __
Some things that I didn't like :

1) If I choose to read a book with the word "Christmas" in the title, I expect to be enveloped in a warm Christmas atmosphere.
In this book the only Christmassy thing is the countdown of how many days until Christmas.
Each chapter begins with: 8 days until Christmas, 7 days until Christmas, 6 days until Christmas etc...
Then there is a scene in which characters talk about where everyone will spend Christmas, but there is nothing Christmassy here.

2) The writer while describing/narrating a certain scene, suddenly makes the characters go into their past memories and this even lasts for pages, which led me to forget what was happening in the current scene.
A very confusing writing style.

In the same way, the author goes from scenes on the farm with the girls to scenes of the German airmen or the doctor in the hospital, suddenly and without pauses between one topic and another.
The author divided the chapters according to the days left until Christmas, but in my opinion it would have been better to divide the chapters according to the two realities that were being told in the story (the one of the girls and that one of the pilots, at least until the moment which all these characters found themselves on the same scene).

3) I would have liked the author to delve more deeply into the characters, but probably, having dedicated each of the past books in the series to each girl, he didn't consider it necessary.
I think that giving more depth to the characters in each book, even if they are part of a series, is important, because each book is readable as a standalone (including this one) and it is obvious that not all readers read all the books in the same series (otherwise we wouldn't have time to explore other genres and authors).

Thanks for reading my opinion and for your patience with my text, I'm sorry for any errors but English isn't my native language.

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Book review : The Christmas Tart by Mary Jo Putney

The Christmas Tart by Mary Jo Putney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Such a lovely Christmas novella !

___THE PLOT___ Nicole is wrongly accused of theft and fired a few days before Christmas.
Philip's friends try to cheer up their friend by giving him female company for the night. When they mistakenly mistake Nicole, who is wandering cold in Covent Garden, for a prostitute, they offer her money for a night with their friend. At first scandalized, shortly after Nicole accepts in order to have the money to feed herself and the little kitten she picked up on the street... but she is a good girl and when Philip realizes this he doesn't want to take advantage of her, he decides to help the young girl instead...


___MY OPINION___ Read it over two afternoons, it is a sweet and clean romance where are emerging feelings such as sharing ( with the people or even animals that are in need at moment ) and and of giving a chance without hastily judging by appearances.

In addition to this moral and the birth of a sweet love story, in the novel we slowly breathe in the Christmas air with the joy of preparing the decorations together, breathing in the scent of greenery in the air, savoring the mulled cider in front of the fireplace, while the cold rain pours down outside and...of course the kiss under the mistletoe.

I would like a series to be born from these two characters where their love is consolidated and both are involved in sparkling adventures and perhaps mysteries (since the novel was published recently, in October 2023, I hope that the author collects my suggestion...and I would also like the little cat Merkle included in the novels).

Thanks everybody for reading my opinion and please be lenient with my text since English is not my mother tongue :-)

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Book review : A Coin of Edward VII by Fergus Hume

A Coin of Edward VII by Fergus Hume
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Amazing! __ 5 full stars is my rating __

It's been a long time since I read a classic detective story so engaging and with such an intricate plot full of twists that made me turn the pages one after the other with such great curiosity and interest that I've been tempted several times to go and see the last pages who was the culprit.

___ THE PLOT__ The story begins on Christmas Day in the Morleys' living room, where while the children play happily and someone exchanges greetings and gifts, the village gossip gives us a first glimpse of the situation.
But what she paints is only the facade of fake truth, soon a threatening letter will bring to the surface real resentments which will be followed by a murder and the gears of a race against time, to find the truth, will set in motion without ever stopping until the end of the adrenaline-filled story.
---> With no doubt an unconventional "classic" mystery, and this to me is its charm!

This is a book that will be very enjoyable to those like me who love fast-paced plots, where every theory formulated by the reader is dismantled and then taken into consideration again and then refuted again by unexpected events and evidence and deceptive characters until the unthinkable.

On the contrary, those who read classic detective stories because they love their slowness and dislike action will rate this book only a few stars and will probably call it a mess... so before reading it, make sure you recognize which group of readers you belong to.

As I said, the pace is fast and despite being a classic mystery from 1903 there is a lot of action and a couple of the final chapters could easily be scenes from Mission Impossible or 007.

As for the culprit of the crime, I must admit that I guessed it from the beginning and I disliked him enormously throughout the book.
Despite this, I want to assure you that you will doubt your theory several times and all the events will involve you so much that they will make the novel enjoyable from start to finish.

___THE CHARACTERS __ Since I have already mentioned something about the culprit I will start from this character:

1) THE CULPRIT __ I immediately understood who WARNING : SPOILER ___ [ he was because his attitude was too weird: first extremely affectionate, then a sudden fury against a person who up until two minutes before he professed to admire...He was the one who found the murder weapon and formulated the accusatory hypotheses .

Same affectionate and then accusatory attitude and then again too kind towards the victim ]___SPOILER END I think the author planned to make us understand who the culprit could be and then surprise us with an unpredictable plot full of twists and turns, where the Investigations are not carried out only by the detective, but by several people, some of whom are truly unlikely and yet astute (Mrs. Parry!)

2) THE LOCAL GOSSIP __ ok... she's a forked tongue that can destroy the most immaculate reputations, but this character really managed to surprise me and if at the beginning she could have been considered hateful, actually she is really as smart as a fox, she will even end up being nice , because she is the one who knows how to frame each person better than a detective and knows how to find the truth by listening in the right places and reporting the information to the right people.
She may look like a useless character, but actually her role is fundamental to the investigation.

3) THE MAN IN LOVE, THE MAIN CHARACTER ___ I like him! Handsome, kind and friendly, he is also a young man who will not break his word even if it breaks his heart.
Against everyone's thoughts and against all the evidence that could confirm the guilt of his beloved, he will always behave in a correct and polite manner, he will put his reputation and his life at risk until he reaches his desired goal. The best character in the whole book. A hero.

4) THE DETECTIVE ___ character not at the peak of intelligence and perspicacity but not stupid either. He is a man who knows how to recognize his own errors in judgment and although he is helped in the investigations by several characters (each of them manages to solve parts of the puzzle until reaching the final truth) he is still a solid figure who can be counted on.
I liked the fact that he is not at all presumptuous and that he has never created problems for those who tried to find the truth on their own; on the contrary, he accepted the collaboration with the intelligence of those who are really interested in the truth and not to personal prestige WARNING : SPOILER ___ [ although in the end Mr. Ware grants him the glory of having solved the case, as it should be ]___SPOILER END )

5) OTHER SUPPORTING CHARACTERS __ around the main protagonists there are other supporting characters, each of whom plays a fundamental role both in the crimes related to the crime being investigated and in the investigations.
The characters are all well delineated in character even when they only make a few appearances or have a few lines... the author made them real by highlighting the characteristic that distinguished them from the others (eccentricity, goodness, wickedness, cunning , impulsiveness, greed, intelligence, cowardice... of each one we can clearly see the most distinctive traits of their character).
In some dramatic scenes perhaps some sound a little bit theatrical, but this reminded me of Wilkie Collins' novels and so I liked it.

Overall I liked everything: plot, characters, ending (except that I also wanted humiliation for the culprit), the type of writing and the exciting atmosphere given by the race against time.

This was the first novel I read by Fergus Hume and it certainly won't be the last!

Thanks for reading my review and please, forgive my bad English cause it's not my mother tongue.


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LIBRO disponibile anche in EDIZIONE ITALIANA
leggi la mia recensione !

La morte bussa a Natale by Fergus Hume

Fantastico! 5 stelle piene è il mio voto

Era da tanto che non leggevo un giallo classico così coinvolgente e dalla trama così intricata e piena di twist da farmi girare le pagine una dietro l'altra con una curiosità e un interesse così grossi che più volte sono stata tentata di andare a vedere nelle ultime pagine chi era il colpevole. 

____ LA TRAMA ___ La storia comincia il giorno di Natale nel salotto dei Morley, dove mentre i bambini giocano allegramente e qualcuno si scambia auguri e regali, la pettegola, del villaggio ci regala un primo quadro della situazione. Ciò che la signora dipinge però, è solo la facciata di una finta verità, ben presto una lettera minatoria porterà a galla veri rancori a cui seguirà un omicidio e gli ingranaggi di una corsa contro il tempo, per trovare la verità, si metteranno in moto senza mai fermarsi fino alla fine dell'adrenalinica storia.
---> Senza alcun dubbio un giallo "classico" non convenzionale e questo per me è il suo bello !
Questo è un libro che potrà piacere molto, a chi come me ama le trame dal passo veloce, dove ogni teoria formulata  dal lettore viene  smontata per poi essere di nuovo riprese in considerazione per poi essere nuovamente smentita da eventi e prove impreviste e personaggi ingannatori fino all' impensabile.

Al contrario, chi legge i gialli classici perché ama la loro lentezza e detestano l'azione, valuterà questo libro solo poche stelle e probabilmente lo definirà un guazzabuglio...quindi prima di leggerlo assicuratevi di riconoscere a quale gruppo di lettori appartenete.

Come ho detto il passo è veloce e nonostante sia un giallo classico del 1903 c'è tanta azione e un paio di capitoli finali potrebbero benissimo essere scene di mission impossible o 007. 

Per quanto riguarda il colpevole del delitto, devo ammettere che l'ho indovinato sin dall'inizio e mi è stato enormemente antipatico per tutta la durata del libro.
Nonostante ciò voglio assicurarvi, che dubiterete della vostra teoria più volte e tutti gli avvenimenti vi coinvolgeranno talmente tanto da rendere il romanzo gustoso dall'inizio alla fine.

__ I PERSONAGGI __ Dal momento che ho già accennato qualcosa riguardo al colpevole partirò da questo personaggio :

1) IL COLPEVOLE __ Capii subiti chi ATTENTI: SPOILER ___ [ fosse perchè il suo atteggiamento era troppo assurdo : prima estremamente affettuoso, poi un improvviso accanimento contro una persona che fino a due minuti prima professava di ammirare ...fu lui  a trovare l'arma del delitto  e a formulare le  ipotesi. Stesso atteggiamento affezionato e poi accusatorio e poi di nuovo troppo gentile verso la vittima ]___FINE SPOILER penso che l'autore abbia programmato di farci capire chi poteva essere il colpevole per poi stupirci con una trama imprevedibile e ricca di colpi di scena, dove le indagini non sono eseguite solo dal detective, ma da più persone, alcune delle quali veramente improbabili eppure astute ( Mrs. Parry ! ) 

2) LA PETTEGOLA DEL VILLAGGIO __ ok..una lingua biforcuta che può distruggere le reputazioni più immacolate, ma questo personaggio è riuscito davvero a sorprendermi e se all'inizio poteva essere considerata odiosa, in realtà è furba come una volpe e riuscirà persino a risultare simpatica, perché è lei che sa inquadrare ogni persona meglio di un detective. Riesce ad intuire la verità ascoltando nei posti giusti e sa riportare le informazioni solo alle persone giuste.
Potrebbe sembrare un personaggio inutile, ma in realtà il suo ruolo è fondamentale per le indagini.

3) L'INNAMORATO, IL VERO PROTAGONISTA ___ Mi piace ! Bello e simpatico è anche un giovane uomo che non mancherà alla parola data seppure questo gli spezza il cuore. E' il primo in assoluto a credere nell'innocenza della donna che ama e sin dall'inizio fa di tutto per trovarla e scagionarla dall'accusa di omicidio. Contro il pensiero di tutti e contro tutte le prove che potrebbero avvalorare la colpevolezza della sua amata, egli si comporterà sempre in maniera corretta ed educata, metterà a rischio la propria reputazione e la propria vita fino ad arrivare alla meta prefissa. Il miglior personaggio di tutto il libro. Un vero eroe.

4) IL DETECTIVE ___ personaggio non al massimo dell'intelligenza e della perspicacia ma neppure stupido. E' un uomo che sa riconoscere i propri errori di giudizio e seppure aiutato nelle indagini da parecchi personaggi ( ognuno di loro riesce a risolvere  delle parti dell puzzle fino ad arrivare alla verità finale ) è comunque una solida figura su cui si può contare.
Di lui mi è piaciuto il fatto che non sia affatto presuntuoso e che non abbia mai creato problemi a chi cercava di trovare la verità per conto proprio, anzi, egli ha accettato la collaborazione con l'intelligenza di chi è realmente interessato alla verità e non al prestigio personale ( ATTENTI: SPOILER ___ [ sebbene alla fine Mr. Ware gli conceda la gloria dell'aver risolto il caso, com'era giusto che fosse ]___FINE SPOILER )

5) ALTRI PERSONAGGI DI CONTORNO __ attorno ai protagonisti principali ci sono altri personaggi di contorno, ognuno dei quali ricopre un ruolo fondamentale sia nei crimini annessi al reato sul quale si sta indagando sia nelle investigazioni.
I personaggi sono tutti bene delineati caratterialmente anche quando fanno solo poche apparizioni o hanno poche battute ...l'autore li ha resi reali mettendo in risalto la caratteristica che li contraddistigueva dagli altri ( l'eccentricità, la bonta, la malvagità, la furbizia, l'impulsività, la cupidigia, l'intelligenza, la vigliaccheria...di ognuno possiamo vedere chiaramente i tratti più distintivi del loro carattere ).
Nelle scene drammatiche forse qualcuno risulta un poco teatrale, ma questo mi ha ricordato i romanzi di Wilkie Collins e quindi mi è piaciuto.

Nel complesso mi è piaciuto tutto : trama, personaggi, finale ( eccetto che avrei voluto anche l'umiliazione per il colpevole ), il tipo di scrittura e l'atmosfera eccitante data dalla corsa contro il tempo.

Questo è stato il primo romanzo che ho letto di Fergus Hume e sicuramente non sarà l'ultimo.

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Book review : The Earl's Christmas Consultant by Bianca Blythe

The Earl's Christmas Consultant
by Bianca Blythe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A nice clean romance.

___THE PLOT___
Flora works as a duchess's maid, passing herself off as French. Once discovered by a friend of the duke, who is actually an old acquaintance of Flora, but he does not immediately recognize her, she decides to leave and find work elsewhere.
Through the employment agency she is hired as a Christmas consultant and by chance her new employer is precisely the former friend who had discovered that she is not French.
There's much more at stake than this, because Flora is actually on the run from a cruel murderer...

___ MY OPINION___
Light and unpretentious romance, suitable for those looking for a quick read (say a day or two), pure entertainment, without drama and with a guaranteed happy ending.

The side characters have very few lines, the whole story revolves around the dialogues and thoughts of the two protagonists. Said it this way it may seem boring, yet I gave 4 stars, because although it is not an unforgettable book, it kept me good and cheerful company for every page I read.

The story is also suitable for young adults as it is a clean romance. In fact the two characters spend the nights in bed together, but there is no description or even hot kisses. (so if you're looking for a love story hoping for this, don't read it because you'll be disappointed)

( Sorry for any errors in my review, English is not my mother tongue. Thanks for reading anyway :-) )

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Book review : A Tale of Two Hearts by Michelle Griep

A Tale of Two Hearts
Once Upon a Dickens Christmas #2
by Michelle Griep
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An engaging Christmas tale by Michelle Griep !

This is the second short novel in a series of three and I read the first one last year, it was also very good ! Each story is readable as a standalone.

____ THE PLOT___ London, 1853: Mina Scott, is the daughter of an innkeeper and dreams of living a life with more adventures like in the books she loves to read so much and dreams of becoming the wife of William Barlow, a regular guest at the inn, with whom she has become infatuated.

William is the son of a gentleman, but due to a dissolute past full of fun and zero responsibilities, he now finds himself working as an employee and longs to become his uncle's heir, also to be able to have the means to care for his very ill mother.
To achieve this goal he needs a wife immediately and must be able to unmask his wicked cousin's evil plans.

___MY OPINION ___ This is a second chance sweet tale.
The story is sweetly romantic in a clean way, so I don't recommend it to those looking purely for a Christmas love story, with passionate kisses or something more extreme, you won't find it here (nor obviously did I expect to find it).

On the Goodread page you will see that it is tagged as Christian fiction, but unlike other Christian fiction that, by chance, I happened to read, fortunately here there you'll not find mental prayers to God every 3 pages. The meaning of Christianity is given by the moral of the story:
forgiveness, the ability to give others another chance and the ability to appreciate what we have, without envy and without considering "the neighbor's grass always greener than ours".

Values that should apply to every good person of any religion (and therefore there is no need to read Christian fiction to be a good believer in God or a good person... sometimes I am shocked by the bigotry I read in some reviews of Christian fiction).

The second chance is given to many characters in the story :

1) to Mina who will be able to understand how much value family ties have and how lucky she is in her simple life.

2) to William who has already had a second chance in the past, but now he will have a second chance to find true love and show mercy towards those who they are hostile to him.

3) to William's uncle who opens his heart to his nephew WARNING SPOILER ___ he will also find the happiness of female company and a marriage to live his old age with love. SPOILER END

4) to Mina's elderly friend, who in her youth had lost her true love WARNING SPOILER ___ and will finally be able get married and be happy. ___ SPOILER END

5) WARNING SPOILER ___ second chance also to the wicked characters ___ SPOILER END .

__ANOTHER THING APPRECIATED __ The quotes from Dickens' novels at the beginning of each chapter and the interesting historical notes at the end of the novel.
I was already aware of many of the notions reported, but I nevertheless appreciated them and a couple of them were totally new to me (read the story to discover them).

___ THE FLAW __ The book involved me from beginning to end, but in reality I only rate it 4 stars instead of a full 5, because while at the beginning of the story, the reader can find a nice humor that makes the read cheerful and pleasant, from about 40 % of the story this humor disappears.

A quality that I love about this author (and in authors in general) is precisely the sense of humor, the ironic and funny jokes, which are fundamental to me both in whodunits and in romances.
Here not only after a while the story has lost this precious element (precious to me ), but the author wanted even to reinsert it at the exactly wrong moment:
WARNING SPOILER ___ after I waited for the declaration of love and the consequent kiss, throughout the book, I read a scene, which should be very romantic, with 3 people, where the third person makes jokes that should make the reader laugh .
William declares himself under the incitement of the third person and even kisses Mina at the sarcastic suggestion of the third person. A very quick and flat kiss that gave me no emotion or thrill.

---> As I already said, I wasn't expecting hot scenes, but I've read many clean romances where with a simple kiss, the writer gave me butterflies in my stomach! ___ SPOILER END
In this the author miserably failed and made me angry. So only 4 stars.

FINAL NOTE : I'm from Italy, so you will probably have found some form/grammar errors in my text, but I hope I have still managed to convey my thoughts to you in the right way.
:-) Christmas has just passed, so I count on your forgiveness and I wish you a Happy New Year!

READ ALSO my REVIEW about BOOK #1:
12 Days at Bleakly Manor by Michelle Griep


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Book review : A Christmas Carol Murder by Heather Redmond

A Christmas Carol Murder
A Dickens of a Crime book #3
by Heather Redmond
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A very nice Dickensian mystery.

The author of this book (installment #3 in a series named "A Dickens of a Crime", but readable as a standalone) introduces us to a young, friendly and affable Charles Dickens, not yet a writer (but with a book almost ready to be published), journalist and sketch artist, full of energy and enthusiasm.

The plot of the book cleverly mixes fact and fiction, borrowing characters from his own very famous Christmas story: A Christmas Carol, but changing the names slightly, as if those were the people who inspired him to tell his Christmas tale .
The concept, as I expressed it, may seem convoluted, but if you read the book you will understand what I mean.

__ THE PLOT ___ London, December 1835: Charles and Kate, two of their brothers and a couple of friends are singing Christmas carols to raise money for charity for poor children living on the streets.
Suddenly a man's body, with chains wrapped around it, falls from a window.
The group is involved in the suspicious death as witnesses, but above all, after the magistrate declares the death as accidental, Charles, as a good journalist, decides to see clearly and discover the truth.
Together with the investigation into the murder, we follow the personal events that enter the life of our young Dickens, who finds himself in such an ambiguous and complicated situation that it could ruin his engagement and planned wedding with Kate.

___MY OPINION ___
I have to admit that the murder mystery was interesting to uncover, but not as completely engaging and intriguing as I expected this book to be and this is why I didn't give 5 stars.

However, on the whole, the Dickensian atmosphere of London made up of poor dirty and barefoot children, food stalls and taverns, rich and greedy people, scoundrels and actresses of dubious morality, the enthusiasm of the young Dickens, the disinterested affection of his friends and his brother, the small moments of family life... it's all described so well, that the story kept me good company page after page until the end, without ever getting tired.

I really liked seeing this mix of real characters with fictional characters taken from Dickens' own story and placed in this book as if they had been real.

I also liked the strong feeling that unites Charles and Kate. Dickens's strong desire to have not only Kate's love, but also her trust...however, I couldn't stop thinking for a moment that then he, in reality, later in the marriage, betrayed that trust, having a lover for many years and my knowledge of reality has prevented me a little from enjoying the romantic side of the protagonist.

Up to three quarters of the book it is not possible to find out who the murderer could be, then thanks to some attitudes and jokes one comes to guess, but an unexpected surprise still remains and at the end there's also an action scene that made things more compelling.
It would have been nice if there had been more action scenes spread throughout the story.

The conclusion to the book is satisfying, so for me, overall, the 4 stars are well earned.

Thanks for reading my review and forgive my bad English, it is not my native language. :-)
Merry Christmas everybody !


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