What do you think?
Rate this book
A Regency Christmas Carol: A Christmas Historical Romance Novel
Born into poverty, Joseph Stratford's clever mind has made him a rich mill owner, but he has earned himself a wicked reputation among the villagers of Fiddleton. Only firebrand Barbara Lampett can see beyond the cold heart of this gentleman in disguise.
When visited by ghosts of Christmas past, present and future Joseph is brought down to earth with three thumps! But as the clock strikes midnight on Christmas Eve, has Joseph left it too late to claim the beautiful Barbara and enjoy learning the most delicious Christmas lesson of all?
When visited by ghosts of Christmas past, present and future Joseph is brought down to earth with three thumps! But as the clock strikes midnight on Christmas Eve, has Joseph left it too late to claim the beautiful Barbara and enjoy learning the most delicious Christmas lesson of all?
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
5 people are currently reading
133 people want to read
About the author
Christine Merrill
242 books215 followersChristine Merrill has wanted to be an author for as long as she can remember. But one thing stood in her way: touch typing.
Six weeks spent on an IBM Selectric in her Sophomore year of high school proved that she would never be able to produce one readable page of manuscript, much less several hundred.
Twenty years passed, and she found ways to pass the time: marrying her high school sweetheart; having two sons; and taking an assortment of jobs in professional theater costume shops, including a miserable year and a half spent styling wigs for a certain hamburger-selling clown (who shall remain nameless, since I don't want to incur the wrath of a major American corporation) and a couple of weeks working on a TV movie with one of the sexiest men alive (whose name I'm happy to drop: Mark Harmon!).
During that time, someone invented word processing, and a reliable spell checker.
Christine returned to her childhood dream, only to discover that there was more to the whole writing thing than accurate typing. The next years were spent learning to tell stories that people might want to read, and trying to find someone who wanted to buy them. Her chance came when she won the RWA's Golden Heart Competition for unpublished manuscripts. The winning story, soon to be known as THE INCONVENIENT DUCHESS, was bought by the contest judges, the delightful editors at Mills & Boon, in Richmond, Surrey.
Christine is now busy writing her fifth book, and is more than slightly jealous that her manuscripts get to visit England, while she stays home in Wisconsin
Six weeks spent on an IBM Selectric in her Sophomore year of high school proved that she would never be able to produce one readable page of manuscript, much less several hundred.
Twenty years passed, and she found ways to pass the time: marrying her high school sweetheart; having two sons; and taking an assortment of jobs in professional theater costume shops, including a miserable year and a half spent styling wigs for a certain hamburger-selling clown (who shall remain nameless, since I don't want to incur the wrath of a major American corporation) and a couple of weeks working on a TV movie with one of the sexiest men alive (whose name I'm happy to drop: Mark Harmon!).
During that time, someone invented word processing, and a reliable spell checker.
Christine returned to her childhood dream, only to discover that there was more to the whole writing thing than accurate typing. The next years were spent learning to tell stories that people might want to read, and trying to find someone who wanted to buy them. Her chance came when she won the RWA's Golden Heart Competition for unpublished manuscripts. The winning story, soon to be known as THE INCONVENIENT DUCHESS, was bought by the contest judges, the delightful editors at Mills & Boon, in Richmond, Surrey.
Christine is now busy writing her fifth book, and is more than slightly jealous that her manuscripts get to visit England, while she stays home in Wisconsin
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
December 5, 2013
I loved Christine Merrill's take on A Christmas Carol in this wonderful Regency romance. This was such an enjoyable holiday read!
Read
December 12, 2011This book was a cross between A Christmas Carol and North & South (picture Richard Armitage - go ahead, you know you want to!) along with the author's own story in-between.
Unfortunately, it needed much more to keep my interest. I didn't get a hold of the hero, he seemed thick as a plank, just didn't get it and within the pages I read (200) I didn't see ANY growth of his character.
The heroine was OK, but poor choices and a bit wimpy-ness, made me not care what happened to her either.
This story could have been so very, very good but between the two ho-hum leads and the dull storyline, it just plain old fell flat for me.
Unfortunately, it needed much more to keep my interest. I didn't get a hold of the hero, he seemed thick as a plank, just didn't get it and within the pages I read (200) I didn't see ANY growth of his character.
The heroine was OK, but poor choices and a bit wimpy-ness, made me not care what happened to her either.
This story could have been so very, very good but between the two ho-hum leads and the dull storyline, it just plain old fell flat for me.
February 13, 2015
Very good book. Joseph was definitely a Scrooge-like character at the beginning, being solely focused on his business and what needed to be done to make it richer. Barbara was a compassionate woman, who understood what the people of the town were going through. She tried to explain it to him, but he didn't want to listen. He was physically attracted to her, though, and considered following up with that. Then he was visited by three Christmas ghosts, and began to see how he must change. I liked the way that Barbara began to see that there was good in Joseph, that he just didn't know what to do about it. I also liked the way that Joseph finally saw the light, and how he turned over his new leaf.
December 24, 2011
I loved both 'A Christmas Carol' by Charles Dickens and 'North and South' by Elizabeth Gaskell so I looked forward to reading this book. I wasn't disappointed. I really enjoyed Christine Merrill's take on the two books and thought she handled it really well. 'A Regency Christmas Carol' is heart-warming and romantic, and leaves you filled with holiday cheer. I recommend it to all Regency romance lovers.
'Virgin Unwrapped' also by Christine Merrill is a companion novella to this book.
'Virgin Unwrapped' also by Christine Merrill is a companion novella to this book.
November 19, 2021
(read in french, under the title « Le manoir de Clairemont »)
It's not really yet the season of Christmas romances, but having commitments towards other readings, I allowed myself this one a bit early, mostly because the book being printed much more bigger than the other ones in the line, I knew I would finish it quickly.
Unusually, this historical romance has a light paranormal touch with the presence of ghosts « seeming » to appear in Joseph's dreams. Still, what they show him is real and go beyond what he can be aware of. So, if your thing is the absolute realism even in fiction, this is probably not a book for you. Otherwise, it gives some fresh air in a very guidelined romance genre.
The story itself is quite simple : a rich industrial with big lacks in social skills, badly considered both by nobles and local people convicted he's only interested in money. Alright, he is, but has his reasons and Barbara's arrival in his life will make him question his behavior. No big surprise in there, problems come from elsewhere, though the solution the everyone's troubles is pretty obvious. But this simplicity is a real strength here : we know where we're headed and just have to let ourselves being carried chapter after chapter. No plot twists coming out of nowhere. Christine Merrill didn't fell into the too-much and that's what makes this novel pleasant to read. As she says herself in the foreword, it's no more than a Christmas tale. Even if the Christmas side is finally quite discreet.
A nice, easy reading.
It's not really yet the season of Christmas romances, but having commitments towards other readings, I allowed myself this one a bit early, mostly because the book being printed much more bigger than the other ones in the line, I knew I would finish it quickly.
Unusually, this historical romance has a light paranormal touch with the presence of ghosts « seeming » to appear in Joseph's dreams. Still, what they show him is real and go beyond what he can be aware of. So, if your thing is the absolute realism even in fiction, this is probably not a book for you. Otherwise, it gives some fresh air in a very guidelined romance genre.
The story itself is quite simple : a rich industrial with big lacks in social skills, badly considered both by nobles and local people convicted he's only interested in money. Alright, he is, but has his reasons and Barbara's arrival in his life will make him question his behavior. No big surprise in there, problems come from elsewhere, though the solution the everyone's troubles is pretty obvious. But this simplicity is a real strength here : we know where we're headed and just have to let ourselves being carried chapter after chapter. No plot twists coming out of nowhere. Christine Merrill didn't fell into the too-much and that's what makes this novel pleasant to read. As she says herself in the foreword, it's no more than a Christmas tale. Even if the Christmas side is finally quite discreet.
A nice, easy reading.
November 19, 2018
Barbara je otravná hrdinka. Inspirace Vánoční koledou mě bavila, ale čekala bych nějakou romantiku.
s. 81,83
Odehrává se v roce 1811, kdy je Josephovi 25 let.
V roce 1800 byl Joseph malý chlapec. Jeho otec je teď skoro 7 let mrtvý, ale díky Josephovi umřel „v teple a pohodlí v posteli, kterou mu koupil“.
Takže Joseph zbohatl mezi svým čtrnáctým a osmnáctým rokem? Že by?
s. 120 maminka jí už stačila nakouknout do nákupního košíku. „To měl být dárek.“
s. 115 obrátila se nejprve ke košíku na šití, aby schovala dárek určený mamince. Krajku. A talíře.
A na s. 139 je to už zase košík na šití. Ale košík jako košík.
s. 2 popisuje pravou vánoční atmosféru (...) před více než sto lety
Originál vyšel v roce 2011, takže to máme 200 let. Ale co už.
uvozovky - s. 123
s. 81,83
Odehrává se v roce 1811, kdy je Josephovi 25 let.
V roce 1800 byl Joseph malý chlapec. Jeho otec je teď skoro 7 let mrtvý, ale díky Josephovi umřel „v teple a pohodlí v posteli, kterou mu koupil“.
Takže Joseph zbohatl mezi svým čtrnáctým a osmnáctým rokem? Že by?
s. 120 maminka jí už stačila nakouknout do nákupního košíku. „To měl být dárek.“
s. 115 obrátila se nejprve ke košíku na šití, aby schovala dárek určený mamince. Krajku. A talíře.
A na s. 139 je to už zase košík na šití. Ale košík jako košík.
s. 2 popisuje pravou vánoční atmosféru (...) před více než sto lety
Originál vyšel v roce 2011, takže to máme 200 let. Ale co už.
uvozovky - s. 123
November 10, 2011
This is a delightful mix of Charles Dicken's 'A Christmas Carol' and Elizabeth Gaskell's 'North and South' all rolled into one wonderful fantasy/holiday read.
Picture Richard Armitage from the BBC series of North and South (2004) and you have the hero Joseph Stratford. He makes quite an entrance at a gathering of some of the villagers who are grumbling about the mill that is about to open. A mill owned and operated by Joseph. One of his more vocal critics is Bernard Lampett, who holds protests in the village square voicing his concerns over the new mill. His daughter Barbara is in the square as she worries over her father who has 'episodes' of confusion.
It is here Barbara gets her first glimpse of Joseph Stratford. He is commanding, handsome and arrogant. So much so Barbara speaks out and accuses him of having clockworks instead of a heart. Joseph is a Regency Scrooge, out for profit not caring the affects on his fellow man or any carnage he leaves in his wake. While is he intrigued and attracted to the lovely Barbara, he is determined to plow ahead with his scheme of marrying the prominent daughter Anne Clairemont to achieve his goals.
Joseph is visited by the ghost of his father who warns of impending visits from three other spirits. Joseph is more interested in buying and selling, not the craft or the workers.His father explains while Joseph has invented a new loom for weaving, he has lost sight of a more meaningful future. Joseph scoffs this visit as a nightmare of epic proportions.
Barbara is a lovely heroine. She is not afraid to stand up for what she thinks and speaks her mind and voice her feelings. Joseph finds this very appealing as his possible future bride-to-be Anna is too quiet and pliable. As they run into each other a few more times, the attraction is obvious between Barbara and Joseph. He begins to scheme on how he can use Barbara to silence her outspoken father, and set her up as his mistress as well.
The story kicks into 'Scrooge' gear when between the flirtations with Barbara he is indeed visited from three spirits. The first is from his past, the second the present, the third, his future. I found the future visit particularly poignant. Christine Merrill hits all the right notes emotionally and dramatically with this bleak vision of Joseph's future, of which I will give nothing away.
In between his visits from the present and the future, Barbara attends Joseph's big Christmas house party, where he pulls out all the stops to ensnare and impress rich investors from London. Joseph is drawn to Barbara and pays a late night visit to her room where passion ignites and Barbara tells him she loves him. She believes under all that cold business like demeanor is a decent, loving man. Is she correct in her assumption?
You can guess the ending, and it parallels Dicken's tale wonderfully. Heartwarming and bursting with holiday good cheer with a crackling romance thrown in for good measure, you will thoroughly enjoy 'A Regency Christmas Carol'.
Picture Richard Armitage from the BBC series of North and South (2004) and you have the hero Joseph Stratford. He makes quite an entrance at a gathering of some of the villagers who are grumbling about the mill that is about to open. A mill owned and operated by Joseph. One of his more vocal critics is Bernard Lampett, who holds protests in the village square voicing his concerns over the new mill. His daughter Barbara is in the square as she worries over her father who has 'episodes' of confusion.
It is here Barbara gets her first glimpse of Joseph Stratford. He is commanding, handsome and arrogant. So much so Barbara speaks out and accuses him of having clockworks instead of a heart. Joseph is a Regency Scrooge, out for profit not caring the affects on his fellow man or any carnage he leaves in his wake. While is he intrigued and attracted to the lovely Barbara, he is determined to plow ahead with his scheme of marrying the prominent daughter Anne Clairemont to achieve his goals.
Joseph is visited by the ghost of his father who warns of impending visits from three other spirits. Joseph is more interested in buying and selling, not the craft or the workers.His father explains while Joseph has invented a new loom for weaving, he has lost sight of a more meaningful future. Joseph scoffs this visit as a nightmare of epic proportions.
Barbara is a lovely heroine. She is not afraid to stand up for what she thinks and speaks her mind and voice her feelings. Joseph finds this very appealing as his possible future bride-to-be Anna is too quiet and pliable. As they run into each other a few more times, the attraction is obvious between Barbara and Joseph. He begins to scheme on how he can use Barbara to silence her outspoken father, and set her up as his mistress as well.
The story kicks into 'Scrooge' gear when between the flirtations with Barbara he is indeed visited from three spirits. The first is from his past, the second the present, the third, his future. I found the future visit particularly poignant. Christine Merrill hits all the right notes emotionally and dramatically with this bleak vision of Joseph's future, of which I will give nothing away.
In between his visits from the present and the future, Barbara attends Joseph's big Christmas house party, where he pulls out all the stops to ensnare and impress rich investors from London. Joseph is drawn to Barbara and pays a late night visit to her room where passion ignites and Barbara tells him she loves him. She believes under all that cold business like demeanor is a decent, loving man. Is she correct in her assumption?
You can guess the ending, and it parallels Dicken's tale wonderfully. Heartwarming and bursting with holiday good cheer with a crackling romance thrown in for good measure, you will thoroughly enjoy 'A Regency Christmas Carol'.
August 3, 2021
It's pretty weird I finished this book in summer rather than in Christmas as I had originally planned. Anyways it is a pretty entertaining book. Not the best but just fine.
April 8, 2025
I loved the concept of this novel, but unfortunately, the characters actions are not something I condone.
Otherwise, the retelling was wonderfully done. 2.75 Stars.
Otherwise, the retelling was wonderfully done. 2.75 Stars.
December 8, 2012
The small town of Fiddleton is feeling the greed of employers at their small mill when Joseph Stratford buys the Clairemont Mansion and builds his own mill on the village greens, the residents are even more hostile and angrier. Joseph is a hard man. He is also trying to wedge his way into the ton. The Claremonts want their mansion back and are willing to match their daughter in marriage to Joseph to get to move back to their home. Enter Barbara Lampett whom father is not quite right in the head due to an accident and to whom Joseph feels a decided attraction.
Then the spirits appear after the theme of The Christmas Carol. They don't come all in one night though. They appear on different nights confusing Joseph while he in the meantime falls further in love with Barbara and Anne in turn is in love with someone else also!
Then the spirits appear after the theme of The Christmas Carol. They don't come all in one night though. They appear on different nights confusing Joseph while he in the meantime falls further in love with Barbara and Anne in turn is in love with someone else also!
March 25, 2012
Born into poverty, Joseph Stratford's clever mind has made him a rich mill owner, but he has earned himself a wicked reputation among the villagers of Fiddleton. Only firebrand Barbara Lampett can see beyond the cold heart of this gentleman in disguise.
When visited by ghosts of Christmas past, present and future Joseph is brought down to earth with three thumps! But as the clock strikes midnight on Christmas Eve, has Joseph left it too late to claim the beautiful Barbara and enjoy learning the most delicious Christmas lesson of all?
This book mixes Dickens "A Christmas Carol" with Elizabeth Gaskell's "North and South," and she does it very well. It is worth the read.
When visited by ghosts of Christmas past, present and future Joseph is brought down to earth with three thumps! But as the clock strikes midnight on Christmas Eve, has Joseph left it too late to claim the beautiful Barbara and enjoy learning the most delicious Christmas lesson of all?
This book mixes Dickens "A Christmas Carol" with Elizabeth Gaskell's "North and South," and she does it very well. It is worth the read.
January 25, 2016
This book broke my reader's block. I had no idea what to read and I was struggling to think of something to read, then I visualized the girl in the green dress-a romance novel cover, that was in my book collection. I found it and it was this book. I ended up staying awake until 3am reading this book, I did not want to put it down. I cried so much in this book, but it was not bad. It took me a few chapters to get the Christmas Carol nitch (lol I had a blond moment), but I loved it! The ghosts were perfect in ever way, the love, the tension. I loved this book so much!
December 28, 2011
I really enjoyed this book. Joseph was truly an ass to start with, but he was supposed to be. I enjoyed the similarities to the Christmas Carol story, but I really think Joseph's ghosts were a bit more on the mark. I would have loved to see the cavalier that came to him! I was despairing of him having the courage to do the right thing at the end, but he did have a change of heart. Excellent Christmas read.
December 10, 2011
I don't know if it is just because I am in a Christmas mood or what, but I LOVED this book. I highly recommend it to regency fans. A nice twist on the Christmas Carol story. I really liked the H and h and was very happy with the ending. My first book by this author and I will keep an eye out for more by her.
December 24, 2011
I wanted to like this one, but it was so dark it didn't fit my holiday mood at all. The hero is extremely self centered and really didn't change enough to suit my taste. I was not enamored of how closely the story followed Dicken's Christmas Carol. It just felt stale. The heroine wasn't that appealing either. It made me want to go and pull out one of my old comfort Christmas reads.
December 22, 2013
Got this book from a friend who was unloading a stash of romance novels. I didn't expect much, but what I got was a lovely retelling of A Christmas Carol if that were a romance.
December 8, 2014
A romantic re-telling of Dickens classic tale of greed and redemption
September 11, 2013
Where was someone with a brain to tell this author redoing Dickens is" NOT A GOOD IDEA!"
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews