Short Story Review: The Scandal Before Christmas

Title: The Scandal Before Christmas (The Reckless Brides #3.5)

Author: Elizabeth Essex
Publication Date: October 8, 2013
Publisher: Forever
Genre: St. Martins Paperbacks
Find It: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss

Lieutenant Ian Worth needs a wife by Christmas, and he can't afford to be choosy. He has to find her, woo her, and wed her before he goes back to sea - all within a matter of days.

Anne Lesley is a shy spinster with no prospects, and nothing and no one to recommend her but her own self. She accepts the lieutenant’s hasty offer only for the comfort and security it will bring. But when a midwinter storm snows her and Ian in, they both find they got much more than they bargained for - daughter, light, and a Christmas filled with honest to goodness true love.

The holidays are upon, which means it's time for me to read a few holiday novellas. Historicals are my favorite when it comes to short stories and The Scandal Before Christmas looked to have all of the elements of a fun, holiday read.

Lt. Ian Worth is the second son of an overbearing father. Until now, he's been mostly left alone and is away at sea most of the time as an officer of the Royal Navy. However, when Ian's older brother suffers what could be a fatal accident, his father demands that he marry immediately and sire a child. To try and get his father off his back, Ian tells him that he's already married. Needing to find a wife quickly, Ian arranges to meet the spinster daughter of one of his naval friends. At first Ian thinks Anne is too plain and without spirit, but soon learns that underneath her plain exterior lies a passionate young woman that may just be his match.

As novellas go, The Scandal Before Christmas had more depth than most. Like most novellas, it did feel like there wasn't quite enough time to get a really well rounded story.  The pacing of story was uneven and I felt like the ending was very rushed. I was also expecting a much more dramatic ending and the quick resolution and wrap-up left me feeling a little bit underwhelmed. However, I enjoyed watching Ian and Anne getting to know each other and like their frank conversations.  Of the two, I was more drawn to Ian, who is charming and has a good heart. I liked Anne well enough though her ugly duckling status was a little overplayed. The two had a good rapport though and I enjoyed their unconventional courtship.

With a good balance of romance and drama, The Scandal Before Christmas delivers a romantic read that's great for the holidays. If you like ugly ducking tales, you may enjoy this one. This novella is part of a series but I haven't read any of the previous books and had no trouble following along. It's also piqued my interest in this series and I plan to read the first book in the Reckless Brides series soon.

*I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

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Visit the author online at www.elizabethessex.com, Facebook and follow her on Twitter @EssexRomance

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Hallmark Countdown to Christmas 2013

Hallmark Channel's Countdown to Christmas

Just a few more days until Christmas and I am spending the day cleaning and watching a marathon of Hallmark Holiday Movies.  There are some that I tape and watch over and over again and others that I delete after one viewing and maybe watch again if they show up on one of the marathon movie days.  I realize that each of these movies will touch different people in different ways, but here are my thoughts on the 2013 Hallmark Original Holiday movies....

The Thanksgiving House (Premiered November 2, 2013)

Blurb from Hallmark Website:
A woman buys a house in Plymouth, only to discover that the very first Thanksgiving took place on the property. As a result, she finds herself in a battle with a local handsome historian who wants to tear down her house to study the site. Stars Cerina Vincent and Lindsay Wagner. 

What I liked about it:  I almost missed this movie.  I was out of town for Thanksgiving and had to go online to set up my DVR. When I finally got to see this one, I was glad I didn't miss it.  I really liked the main characters, Mary Ross and Everett Mather.  I just kept rooting for Mary and Everett to get together. Everett embodies small town hope and good will, while Mary has been hurt in the past due to her parents' divorce.  Also, viewers will love to hate Mary's arrogant city boyfriend and the local community gossip blogger.

Watch it again: Yes! I was glad I recorded this to my DVR.  Since it was a Thanksgiving-theme movie, it did not receive the same replay as other movies.

Pete’s Christmas (Premiered November 8, 2013)

Blurb from Hallmark Website:
A young 14-year-old boy named Pete has the worst Christmas Day ever, only to find that he must repeat the day again and again until he gets it right. Stars Bruce Dern, Zachary Gordon, Bailee Madison, Molly Parker and Rick Roberts. 

What I liked about it:  Repeating the day over again until you get it right is a frequent plot device.  It can be done well or it can be really annoying.  Pete's Christmas is an enjoyable and humorous version.  Pete's a great kid and, as he tries to figure out how to make it all come together, there are a lot of mistakes but also a lot of laughs.  Pete and his family grow throughout the movie, and of course, there is the mandatory happy ending.

Watch it again: Yes, if you can find it.  This one didn't seem to run as frequently as others and unfortunately I didn't tape it.

Snow Bride (Premiered November 9, 2013)

Blurb from Hallmark Website:
When a reporter encounters the eldest son of a famous political family at a mountain retreat, she winds up pretending to be his girlfriend over Christmas so he can save face with his family. Should she secretly expose newsworthy scoops about the famous family in order to save her job, or trust that she's falling in love for real? Stars Patricia Richardson and Katrina Law. 

What I liked about it:  I had to watch this one in parts.  I am not fond of certain deception plots and if I don't really connect with the characters, then I tend to lose interest.  The movie was super predictable, which I expected.  It was easy to see what would be the big conflict standing in the way of the two characters getting together.  However, about halfway through, I found myself really liking Greta (the undercover gossip reporter) and Ben (the rich son of a politician) and wanted to see them together.  I was surprised by how much I liked Ben's family, who were nothing like I expected. I did find myself wanting to see Ben's mother (who is now a widow) to find her own happy ever after ending, too.

Watch it again:  This is probably a one timer for me, but if it is on, I may tune in again.

A Very Merry Mix-Up (Premiered November 10, 2013)

Blurb from Hallmark Website:
Alice thinks she is heading to her fiancé’s hometown to meet his parents and spend the holidays, but a mix-up at the airport lands her at the wrong home. However this “wrong” family is just her sort of people and she quickly forms a bond with them, especially with the handsome son, Matt. When she visits the "right" house, will her destiny take a detour? Stars Alicia Witt. 

What I liked about it:  This movie had all of the makings for a potentially great romantic comedy in theory.  The main character accidentally finds herself in the wrong home for the holidays after a series of mix ups.  Of course, the family she meets is her ideal family.  There is also a tie in with time, fate, and a romantic story tied into a special clock. I usually like movies like A Very Merry Mix-Up, but for some reason this one did not grab me.

Watch it again:  Maybe. I liked it but I found myself skipping it to watch others.

A Wallflower Christmas - Review

A Wallflower Christmas (Wallflowers #5) by Lisa Kleypas

Publication date: 14 October 2008 by St. Martin's Press
ISBN 10/13: 0312533780 | 9780312533786)

Category: Adult Historical Romance
Keywords: Historical, romance, rakes
Format: Hardcover, mass market paperback, eBook

From goodreads:

The Wallflowers are four young ladies in London who banded together in their wild and wickedly wonderful searches for true love. Now happily married, they join together once again to help one of the world’s most notorious rogues realize that happiness might be right under the mistletoe.…
 
It’s Christmastime in London and Rafe Bowman has arrived from America for his arranged meeting with Natalie Blandford, the very proper and beautiful daughter of Lady and Lord Blandford. His chiseled good looks and imposing physique are sure to impress the lady in waiting and, if it weren’t for his shocking American ways and wild reputation, her hand would already be guaranteed. Before the courtship can begin, Rafe realizes he must learn the rules of London society. But when four former Wallflowers try their hand at matchmaking, no one knows what will happen. And winning a bride turns out to be more complicated than Rafe Bowman anticipated, especially for a man accustomed to getting anything he wants. However, Christmas works in the most unexpected ways, changing a cynic to a romantic and inspiring passion in the most timid of hearts.  

A Wallflower Christmas takes a trip to Victorian London, under the mistletoe, and on a journey of the heart. With her trademark charm, sensuality, and unforgettable characters, there’s no one like Lisa Kleypas to make you believe in the magic of Christmas.

Thuy's review: 

I am not usually one for holiday themed books (they always seemed a bit cheesy) but I couldn't resist this Christmas story by Lisa Kleypas. A Wallflower Christmas is a deliciously fun and sweet with that I didn't want to end.

Rafe Bowman has a well earned reputation as a rake. But this Christmas, he's heading to Stony Cross Park with his sister and her friends to meet his would-be future bride, Natalie Blandford. Though reluctant to give up his single ways, Rafe understands that he must settle down at some point and Natalie is as good a candidate as anyone else. What he doesn't count on is his attraction to her  companion Hannah Appleton. Hannah isn't elegant and practiced in the ways of society like Natalie is, but she's smart, lively and genuine. She also highly disapproves of Rafe as a suitor for Natalie and does all she can to dissuade the union.

This was such a wonderful story that I truly enjoyed. Rafe is a rake of the highest order - flirty and unapologetic in his actions. He even kisses Hannah the first time he meets her! He's not one to shy away his feelings and he's definitely attracted to Hannah. What first starts off as a bit of mischief soon turns into something deeper as Rafe begins to realize that his feelings for Hannah are unlike any he's had for a woman before. He takes every opportunity to tease her and bring her out of her Natalie's shadow. Under Hannah's proper and polite  English facade is a strong, opinionated woman who isn't afraid to tell Rafe just why he's an unsuitable choice for Natalie or anyone else. I found Hannah to be kind an earnest but with a fiery nature, especially when Rafe riles her up. Though a rake, Rafe isn't callous and he treats Hannah with respect and surprising tenderness, making an effort to know her mind and not just make out with her. Their romance is sweet and passionate and I really wanted them to get their happily ever after.

The story is also not as overtly Christmas-y as I had feared. It takes place during the holidays and there are holiday activities like trimming the Christmas tree and sledding. There are several scenes where Hannah is reading A Christmas Carol aloud which were tedious only because passages of A Christmas Carol were written out in the book. I don’t know if it was necessary but it took me out of the book at times. Other than that I enjoyed the subtle Christmas theme.

This is the only book I've read from the Wallflowers series. Even though I had no prior knowledge of the series or characters I was able to follow along just fine. There is some recapping and the other Wallflowers and their husbands do make appearances. I probably would have gotten more out of their bits if I had read the other books first but, as it was, they were fun little side stories that I enjoyed and made me want to read the entire series.

Lisa Kleypas manages to pull my heartstrings yet again in this romantic Christmas tale filled with misunderstandings, love, desire and holiday spirit. A Wallflower Christmas is a great book to snuggle up with for the holidays or any other day.

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Visit the author online at www.lisakleypas.com and follow @LisaKleypas on Twitter