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Windham #6
Lady Louisa's Christmas Knight
No one would ever guess that Lady Louisa, the most reserved of the Duke of Moreland's daughters, had published a book of racy poems under a pseydonym on a dare. Before she can buy and destroy all of the copies, a dastardly fortune hunter seeks to compromise her reputation by revealing her secret identity at a holiday ball.
Before she can be publicly ruined, close family friend Sir Joseph Carrington saves the day by offering to marry Louisa. As he recites poetry to her, waltzes with her by starlight, and showers her with lovely kisses, they both begin to discover that their match may be the best Christmas gift either has ever received...
Before she can be publicly ruined, close family friend Sir Joseph Carrington saves the day by offering to marry Louisa. As he recites poetry to her, waltzes with her by starlight, and showers her with lovely kisses, they both begin to discover that their match may be the best Christmas gift either has ever received...
360 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 2, 2012
480 people are currently reading
1535 people want to read
About the author
Grace Burrowes
190 books2,918 followersGrace Burrowes started writing as an antidote to empty nest and soon found it an antidote to life in general. She is the sixth out of seven children, raised in the rural surrounds of central Pennsylvania. Early in life she spent a lot of time reading romance novels and practicing the piano. Her first career was as a technical writer and editor in the Washington, DC, area, a busy job that nonetheless left enough time to read a lot of romance novels.
It also left enough time to grab a law degree through an evening program, produce Beloved Offspring (only one, but she is a lion), and eventually move to the lovely Maryland countryside.
While reading yet still more romance novels, Grace opened her own law practice, acquired a master's degree in Conflict Transformation (she had a teenage daughter by then) and started thinking about writing.... romance novels. This aim was realized when Beloved Offspring struck out into the Big World a few years ago. ("Mom, why doesn't anybody tell you being a grown-up is hard?")
Grace eventually got up the courage to start pitching her manuscripts to agents and editors. The query letter that resulted in "the call" started out: "I am the buffoon in the bar at the RWA retreat who could not keep her heroines straight, could not look you in the eye, and could not stop blushing--and if that doesn't narrow down the possibilities, your job is even harder than I thought." (The dear lady bought the book anyway.)
To contact Grace, email her at graceburrowes@yahoo.com.
It also left enough time to grab a law degree through an evening program, produce Beloved Offspring (only one, but she is a lion), and eventually move to the lovely Maryland countryside.
While reading yet still more romance novels, Grace opened her own law practice, acquired a master's degree in Conflict Transformation (she had a teenage daughter by then) and started thinking about writing.... romance novels. This aim was realized when Beloved Offspring struck out into the Big World a few years ago. ("Mom, why doesn't anybody tell you being a grown-up is hard?")
Grace eventually got up the courage to start pitching her manuscripts to agents and editors. The query letter that resulted in "the call" started out: "I am the buffoon in the bar at the RWA retreat who could not keep her heroines straight, could not look you in the eye, and could not stop blushing--and if that doesn't narrow down the possibilities, your job is even harder than I thought." (The dear lady bought the book anyway.)
To contact Grace, email her at graceburrowes@yahoo.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 286 reviews
January 6, 2013
Grade: D
I originally gave this a C---, but after writing the full review, I realized how much it annoyed me.
Burrowes' debut The Heir (Duke's Obsession, #1) was one of my "gateway" romances, mostly because of a certain handjob scene early in the book. But she's never been on my auto-buy list, for reasons I really couldn't explain. Until now.
I admire her use of language — some of her sentences are marvelous. But in between, there's weak characterization, a lot of repetitive and Romance-O-Matic plotwork and occasionally some very ill-advised WTFery. Or, to put it bluntly, her storytelling skills leave me cold.
The waste of a perfectly promising heroine
My biggest frustration with Lady Louisa's Christmas Knight is that the literally brilliant heroine is reduced to a complete bore who is given nothing to do in the story beyond react to the men around her.
But are we *shown* any of that Smart Girl goodness? NO. We're *informed* of it in a single info-dumping paragraph. Instead, Louisa's entire character as a Renaissance Woman is merely a convenient excuse to make her the object of pity with an empty dance card and inject some naughty poetry into the proceedings.
Which is a confusing, yet convenient, segue into my second-biggest frustration....
The pseudo-scandals
Much like her sister who starred in the previous book, and her other sister in the book before that, and those two other unmarried sisters who don't have books yet, and her sisters-in-law from the first three books, and probably her mother whose novella I haven't read yet, Lady Louisa has...wait for it...A Scandalous Secret.
But, of course, none of this scandalous behavior happens within the timeline of the book — it's a single Unfortunate Episode that happened years before. So, of course, our heroine is given nothing else to do but stand around and mope while her "mother hen" brothers terrorize booksellers across England to .
Luckily, she's Saved From Ruin by our hero, who has a pseudo-scandal of his own. We're subjected to painfully obvious foreshadowing of Sir...Joseph (sorry, had to look it up because I forgot it already) and used as props to demonstrate our hero's Noble Spirit.
And, of course, the pseudo-plot is resolved by a melodramatic "rescue" by the Brotherhood of Manly Men who show up just in time to at the pathetic excuse for a "villain."
There is ZERO tension — dramatic, romantic or sexual — in this entire book.
The olfactory overload
I'm not sure if this is A Thing with Burrowes, or just this book, but Lady Louisa and Sir Joseph smell each other. A LOT.
Before we jump into the miasma, I need to state upfront that the smell of cloves is not something to appeals to me.
And that was just our main characters. In total, the word "scent" appears 44 times.
We also get this bit of throwaway dialogue:
That exchange was between the heroine's two eldest brothers. I shit you not. Who the hell talks like that???
The title p0rn
Oy. The first sub-trilogy in this meta-series is called The Duke's Obsession, which is a very apt name, because Burrowes is apparently extremely enamored with the English peerage. Or would it be "enamored OF"?
ANYWAY, we'll go with the word counts first:
Duke = 64
Ducal = 19
Duchess = 52
Earl = 30
Countess = 23
Yeah, yeah, I know this is a Regency about a high-ranking family. But keep in mind that our heroine is untitled and our hero is a mere knight. With very few exceptions, every single one of those titles belongs to a completely superfluous character who's making a guest appearance. Many of these scenes are boring sexcapades of the still-horny couples from previous books, and none are important to the story.
But wait — there's more! The noble characters themselves use these titles — lower-case — in their everyday thoughts and in conversations with their notoriously all-up-in-everyone's-business family. For example...
The countesses get in on the fun too...
As if that wasn't enough, we need even more reminders of the family's status, and even more emphasis on the possessive use:
But wait — there's even more! We haven't gotten around to the Graces! As in His Grace, Her Grace, Your Grace and Their Graces. And not just in social introductions or interactions with servants.
For example, our heroine calls her parents by the honorifics nearly every single time, never "my papa" or "my mother," even in casual family chatter and internal monologing:
And as if ALL OF THAT wasn't ANNOYING AS ALL HELL, we get also dozens (literally) of useless dialogue tags, along with endlessly repetitive third-person narration like this:
Enough already, you say? Those were was just the sentence starters from the first half of the book. All told, there were more than TWO HUNDRED (200) uses of the "Grace" honorific — in reference to a duke and duchess who were NOT the main characters.
Why? WHY WHY WHY? Is nobody else around here OCD about these things??? *sob*
The monologues with animals
Lady Louisa gives an extensive soul-baring speech to a cat. A cat with no name that appears only in that single scene.
Our hero's listeners are luckier because they at least get names — Sir Joseph spills his guts to Sonnet the Dancing Horse and...wait for it...Lady Ophelia the Mother of All Swine. The horse saved his life in the war and, well, he's a pig farmer so of course he's going to get friendly with his livestock.
The shark jumping
I already used an "oy," so I'll go with a vehement UFF DA here.
In chapter five, we're treated to an unexpected appearance by a different duke.
Which Duke of Wellington, you might wonder?
Yes, THAT Duke of Wellington. It turns out that our hero Sir Joseph was personal marksman to the illustrious soldier during the Peninsular Campaign.
That's all nice and good, of course, but WHY is Wellington skulking around in the first place? So he can join in the fun at the halfway point of the book:
Yes, you read that correctly. Our heroine's ducal father invites his BFF Arthur Wellesley to witness a duel over his daughter's honor.
But wait — there more! Hang in there, this is gooooood. Our esteemed Guest Duke doesn't just stand on the sidelines!
I. Shit. You. Not.
The Duke of Wellington, Defeater of Napoleon, Commander-In-Chief of the British Army, Ambassador to France, Future Prime Minister and All-Around Hero of Heroes, disrupts an illegal duel not with an bellowed order to all the participants to go home and sober the fuck up, but with a slapstick pratfall into the snow.
Oy. Uff da. I just can't even....
It could be worse, you say? At least it wasn't you-know-who, right?
WRONG.
The worst of all Regency evils
Yes, despite all the warnings in Kelly's Manifesto on Something Something Historical Something-Or-Other Romanticism, the author Went. There.
*eye-twitch* Not done yet... *whimper*
And THAT, my friends, is why this book gets a BIG FAT D.
I originally gave this a C---, but after writing the full review, I realized how much it annoyed me.
He wasn't unaffected either. There was...tumescence.
Burrowes' debut The Heir (Duke's Obsession, #1) was one of my "gateway" romances, mostly because of a certain handjob scene early in the book. But she's never been on my auto-buy list, for reasons I really couldn't explain. Until now.
I admire her use of language — some of her sentences are marvelous. But in between, there's weak characterization, a lot of repetitive and Romance-O-Matic plotwork and occasionally some very ill-advised WTFery. Or, to put it bluntly, her storytelling skills leave me cold.
The waste of a perfectly promising heroine
My biggest frustration with Lady Louisa's Christmas Knight is that the literally brilliant heroine is reduced to a complete bore who is given nothing to do in the story beyond react to the men around her.
"She's studied practically every modern European language.... She can do math in her head you and I couldn't follow on paper.... She summarized half a millennium of Roman military strategy...knows Caesar's letters by heart in the original and in translation.... You compose little bagatelles for her when what she needs is to be working on a translation of The Divine Comedy."
But are we *shown* any of that Smart Girl goodness? NO. We're *informed* of it in a single info-dumping paragraph. Instead, Louisa's entire character as a Renaissance Woman is merely a convenient excuse to make her the object of pity with an empty dance card and inject some naughty poetry into the proceedings.
Which is a confusing, yet convenient, segue into my second-biggest frustration....
The pseudo-scandals
Much like her sister who starred in the previous book, and her other sister in the book before that, and those two other unmarried sisters who don't have books yet, and her sisters-in-law from the first three books, and probably her mother whose novella I haven't read yet, Lady Louisa has...wait for it...A Scandalous Secret.
But, of course, none of this scandalous behavior happens within the timeline of the book — it's a single Unfortunate Episode that happened years before. So, of course, our heroine is given nothing else to do but stand around and mope while her "mother hen" brothers terrorize booksellers across England to .
Luckily, she's Saved From Ruin by our hero, who has a pseudo-scandal of his own. We're subjected to painfully obvious foreshadowing of Sir...Joseph (sorry, had to look it up because I forgot it already) and used as props to demonstrate our hero's Noble Spirit.
And, of course, the pseudo-plot is resolved by a melodramatic "rescue" by the Brotherhood of Manly Men who show up just in time to at the pathetic excuse for a "villain."
There is ZERO tension — dramatic, romantic or sexual — in this entire book.
The olfactory overload
I'm not sure if this is A Thing with Burrowes, or just this book, but Lady Louisa and Sir Joseph smell each other. A LOT.
Before we jump into the miasma, I need to state upfront that the smell of cloves is not something to appeals to me.
...the scent of citrus and cloves clung to her
...the flawless, pale and possibly clove-scented skin of her neck
...her serious pretty green eyes, lovely scent and silky hair
...caught a whiff of her citrus-and-clove scent
...a scent that was anything but coal smoke. Cedar and spice, redolent of Christmas
...His daughters would know him by that scent
...catch a whiff of his cedary scent
...Her scent, clean and a little spicy
...the citrus-and-clove scent of Louisa Windham
...the pleasure of her scent, clean and sweet and unique to her
...Sir Joseph's linen bore the scent of true lavender
...where body heat made the lovely scents - lavender, cedar, spices - pure and strong
...finding as much comfort in its cedary scent
...put distance between him and the clove-and-citrus scent of the daft woman beside him
...seeing if you savor the Christmasy scent you've teased my nose with
...her clove scent winding into his brain
...a chance to catch a whiff of her scent
...sneaking a whiff of the lavender soap scent of his skin
...He splashed on his cedar-and-spice scent
...The scent of lavender was here too
...a different quality to his intimate scent. Masculine, maybe
...fortifying himself with the scent of her
...the naked, lavender-scented length of him
...drawing in her clove-and-citrus scent
And that was just our main characters. In total, the word "scent" appears 44 times.
We also get this bit of throwaway dialogue:
"Your countess always smells like a spring garden, Westhaven. There's a warmth in the scent of her."
"Honeysuckle," Westhaven said, looking besotted.
That exchange was between the heroine's two eldest brothers. I shit you not. Who the hell talks like that???
The title p0rn
Oy. The first sub-trilogy in this meta-series is called The Duke's Obsession, which is a very apt name, because Burrowes is apparently extremely enamored with the English peerage. Or would it be "enamored OF"?
ANYWAY, we'll go with the word counts first:
Duke = 64
Ducal = 19
Duchess = 52
Earl = 30
Countess = 23
Yeah, yeah, I know this is a Regency about a high-ranking family. But keep in mind that our heroine is untitled and our hero is a mere knight. With very few exceptions, every single one of those titles belongs to a completely superfluous character who's making a guest appearance. Many of these scenes are boring sexcapades of the still-horny couples from previous books, and none are important to the story.
But wait — there's more! The noble characters themselves use these titles — lower-case — in their everyday thoughts and in conversations with their notoriously all-up-in-everyone's-business family. For example...
..."My countess has suggested"
..."my countess and I will be rusticating"
..."would say the same thing regarding your countess."
..."My countess will not permit me"
...all he wanted was to confer with his countess
..."Happy Christmas, Countess" [from husband to wife under the mistletoe]
...looked up to find his countess eyeing him
...his fragrant, warm and curvaceous countess
...did not stop ogling his countess
..."Your countess has been busy"
..."hands are seldom off his countess's person"
..."or so my countess tells me"
..."what am I to do with a countess such as you?"
The countesses get in on the fun too...
..."find myself in a private pantry with the earl. His creativity on short notice is truly astounding."
..."I would like to make love to the Earl of Kesmore."
As if that wasn't enough, we need even more reminders of the family's status, and even more emphasis on the possessive use:
...the slight frown on his duchess's brow
...taking a place beside his duchess
...if his duchess was to be kept smiling
...Comforting his duchess
...pressing a kiss to his duchess's brow
...note of despair in his duchess's voice
...God and the cleverness of his dear duchess
...'What about my dear duchess?"
..."must discuss this situation with my duchess"
..."wish me luck with my duchess"
..."you are a naughty duchess"
...with his beloved duchess
...placed a kiss on his duchess's temple
...a spark of pride when his duchess
..."pleasure's of leaving behind one's duchess"
..."rivaled only by that of my duchess"
..."My own duchess has informed me"
..."When my duchess bestirs herself"
..."My duchess is holding breakfast for me"
...convey the All's Well to his duchess
...because his duchess was enjoying herself
...as he lead his duchess away
..."and my duchess has taken you into dislike"
But wait — there's even more! We haven't gotten around to the Graces! As in His Grace, Her Grace, Your Grace and Their Graces. And not just in social introductions or interactions with servants.
For example, our heroine calls her parents by the honorifics nearly every single time, never "my papa" or "my mother," even in casual family chatter and internal monologing:
...with brown eyes that put Louisa in mind of Her Grace's spaniel.
...wondering as she did why His Grace would be accosting a young man
..."why don't you rescue His Grace from Lord Mannerling?"
..."You remind me of His Grace. When I was a girl...."
..."His Grace used to call me his abacus. I don't think Her Grace approved of the name."
And as if ALL OF THAT wasn't ANNOYING AS ALL HELL, we get also dozens (literally) of useless dialogue tags, along with endlessly repetitive third-person narration like this:
...Her Grace was no fool
...Her Grace had long since divined His Grace's position
...His Grace sat back
...His Grace loved his five adult daughters
...His Grace understood priorities
...Her Grace was being reasonable.
...His Grace rose from the sofa
...His Grace shuddered to recall
...Her Grace arranged her skirts
...His Grace had leapt to a different conclusion
...His Grace's gratification
...Her Grace did not take his hand
...His Grace drew up under an oak
...His Grace's expression changed
...His Grace would see it
...His Grace reached for a tea cake
...His Grace reached for the last chocolate cake
...His Grace picked up the last cluster of grapes
...Her Grace remarked
...His Grace cleared his throat
...His Grace underscored his words
...His Grace would be an even more obvious cat among the pigeons
...Her Grace was conspiring
...His Grace groped for the arm of a reading chair
...His Grace raised a pair of keen blue eyes
...His Grace tossed back his drink
...His Grace dispatched the second drink
...His Grace made the offer automatically
...His Grace settled in
...Her Grace knew Louisa's mind on this
...His Grace had eaten all but two cake
...Her Grace had delivered several stout whacks to the ducal back
...Her Grace was quiet for a moment
...His Grace contented himself
...His Grace placed a kiss on his duchess's temple
...His Grace was also grateful
...His Grace was correct
Enough already, you say? Those were was just the sentence starters from the first half of the book. All told, there were more than TWO HUNDRED (200) uses of the "Grace" honorific — in reference to a duke and duchess who were NOT the main characters.
Why? WHY WHY WHY? Is nobody else around here OCD about these things??? *sob*
The monologues with animals
Lady Louisa gives an extensive soul-baring speech to a cat. A cat with no name that appears only in that single scene.
Our hero's listeners are luckier because they at least get names — Sir Joseph spills his guts to Sonnet the Dancing Horse and...wait for it...Lady Ophelia the Mother of All Swine. The horse saved his life in the war and, well, he's a pig farmer so of course he's going to get friendly with his livestock.
The shark jumping
I already used an "oy," so I'll go with a vehement UFF DA here.
In chapter five, we're treated to an unexpected appearance by a different duke.
Wellington's lips quirked. He was a handsome man of mature years, standing slightly less than six feet, popular with the ladies, and capable of charm when it suited him.
Which Duke of Wellington, you might wonder?
His Grace [::headdesk::] snorted through the feature that had earned him the sobriquet, "Old Hookey."
Yes, THAT Duke of Wellington. It turns out that our hero Sir Joseph was personal marksman to the illustrious soldier during the Peninsular Campaign.
That's all nice and good, of course, but WHY is Wellington skulking around in the first place? So he can join in the fun at the halfway point of the book:
Moreland [aka His Grace] came churning across the snowy ground. "I believe all is in readiness, unless that buffoon's seconds can talk him into last-minute apology."
Wellington flanked Joseph's other side. "I've conferred with the family, Joseph. Your opponent is a weasel who discredits vermin throughout the realm. Do as honor compels you, and even his fellow weasels will not lament the loss."
Yes, you read that correctly. Our heroine's ducal father invites his BFF Arthur Wellesley to witness a duel over his daughter's honor.
But wait — there more! Hang in there, this is gooooood. Our esteemed Guest Duke doesn't just stand on the sidelines!
"Grattingly's second has the pistols."
...Joseph asked the ticklish question. "Somebody has inspected them"?
Harrison looked grim. "I have."
"Well," said Moreland [aka His Grace], "I have not. Arthur, come along."
A-duking they did go, over to the folding table where Grattingly's matched pistols sat in an open velvet-lined box.
...Harrison muttered, "I could think of no reason to use another pair that wouldn't get us both called out all over again."
"Would that be another pair of pistols or dukes?"
As Joseph offered his rejoinder, Moreland's foot slipped, sending His Grace careening into His Other Grace, and the both of them pitching forward. The folding table collapsed, and the pistols tumbled out of their cozy box and into the snow.
I. Shit. You. Not.
The Duke of Wellington, Defeater of Napoleon, Commander-In-Chief of the British Army, Ambassador to France, Future Prime Minister and All-Around Hero of Heroes, disrupts an illegal duel not with an bellowed order to all the participants to go home and sober the fuck up, but with a slapstick pratfall into the snow.
Oy. Uff da. I just can't even....
It could be worse, you say? At least it wasn't you-know-who, right?
WRONG.
The worst of all Regency evils
Yes, despite all the warnings in Kelly's Manifesto on Something Something Historical Something-Or-Other Romanticism, the author Went. There.
Prinny waved a hand unadorned with rings, the weather having cause the royal case of rheumatism to take a nasty turn.
*eye-twitch* Not done yet... *whimper*
"But that leaves only an earldom, Your Royal Highness. Surely, for a gentleman pig farmer, regardless of his acumen with a pistol, surely..." Hamburg trailed away, eyes downcast. A few beats of martyred silence went by, then, "I'll see to it."
"An earldom and a grouse moor, and perhaps Baconer to the Regent. That has a nice ring to it. We like that last bit, about the baconer. Indeed We do. Fair puts Us in a holiday mood, it does."
"Of course, Your Royal Highness."
By the time Hamburg had back from the Royal Presence, the Regent had heaved himself to his feet and started on a progress about Carlton House, noting all the locations from which a kissing bough might still be hung.
And THAT, my friends, is why this book gets a BIG FAT D.
November 21, 2012
This was an utterly delightful read for any time of the year!
There are no mysteries, no murders, no spies, no Big Misunderstanding - it's just a lovely, warm story about two people finding each other and falling in love, and I can think of no better recommendation. When you can write as well as Grace Burrowes, and give us characters who feel as though they are real people, you don't need to spin an adventure yarn as well in order to "fill in the boring bits". Because the "boring bits" are where the characters interact and talk to each other; they're where the relationships are explored and developed, and that's very rarely boring in my book.
Louisa and Joseph are social misfits and more importantly, seem as though they're each half of a whole. Louisa is outwardly confident and sometimes outspoken where Joseph is self-effacing and reticent; but where Joseph exudes an inner confidence with who he is, Louisa has spent most of her life trying to be the daughter she thinks her parents and society think she should be. They have a passing acquaintance, as neighbours, but a friendship soon develops between them which quickly grows into love. They don't say it (not until right at the end of the book) but it's there on the page, in all they think and do.
I adore books like this, in which the evolution of the relationship between the hero and heroine feels completely natural, and which doesn't require lots of fancy plot twists and turns to keep the reader interested.
We get to see a lot of Louisa's large family, too; it's nice to see siblings and spouses who are all happily getting along rather than jostling for position.
The book is beautifully written and is full of affection and humour. Joseph Carrington makes a gorgeous hero - attractive, honourable and very modest, with the soul of a poet; Louisa Windham is intuitive and fiercely intelligent (so much so that she tries to hide the true extent of her cleverness) with a great sense of humour and a great deal of affection to bestow.
There's no Big Misunderstanding in the novel, but there are a couple of secrets which both Joseph and Louisa feel could derail their happiness. It's clear to the reader, however, that the affection shared by the couple is strong enough to weather them - and both characters realise this, too, but the "right time" for confession never seems to arrive.
When it eventually comes, the secrets are dispensed with without melodrama and the Carringtons are left happily to their own devices.
And I'm left with that warm fuzzy feeling you get when you've just finished a truly lovely book.
With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.
There are no mysteries, no murders, no spies, no Big Misunderstanding - it's just a lovely, warm story about two people finding each other and falling in love, and I can think of no better recommendation. When you can write as well as Grace Burrowes, and give us characters who feel as though they are real people, you don't need to spin an adventure yarn as well in order to "fill in the boring bits". Because the "boring bits" are where the characters interact and talk to each other; they're where the relationships are explored and developed, and that's very rarely boring in my book.
Louisa and Joseph are social misfits and more importantly, seem as though they're each half of a whole. Louisa is outwardly confident and sometimes outspoken where Joseph is self-effacing and reticent; but where Joseph exudes an inner confidence with who he is, Louisa has spent most of her life trying to be the daughter she thinks her parents and society think she should be. They have a passing acquaintance, as neighbours, but a friendship soon develops between them which quickly grows into love. They don't say it (not until right at the end of the book) but it's there on the page, in all they think and do.
I adore books like this, in which the evolution of the relationship between the hero and heroine feels completely natural, and which doesn't require lots of fancy plot twists and turns to keep the reader interested.
We get to see a lot of Louisa's large family, too; it's nice to see siblings and spouses who are all happily getting along rather than jostling for position.
The book is beautifully written and is full of affection and humour. Joseph Carrington makes a gorgeous hero - attractive, honourable and very modest, with the soul of a poet; Louisa Windham is intuitive and fiercely intelligent (so much so that she tries to hide the true extent of her cleverness) with a great sense of humour and a great deal of affection to bestow.
There's no Big Misunderstanding in the novel, but there are a couple of secrets which both Joseph and Louisa feel could derail their happiness. It's clear to the reader, however, that the affection shared by the couple is strong enough to weather them - and both characters realise this, too, but the "right time" for confession never seems to arrive.
When it eventually comes, the secrets are dispensed with without melodrama and the Carringtons are left happily to their own devices.
And I'm left with that warm fuzzy feeling you get when you've just finished a truly lovely book.
With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.
October 10, 2021
It’s probably apparent from the fact that I’ve read basically no books this year that I’m in a reading lull. Struggling to pick up a book and certainly struggling to read anything all the way through.
So, last week I decided to treat myself to a reread of one of my comfort books by one of my comfort authors.
Look, there’s not too much to say about this. It’s suuuper classic Burrowes. We go from ballroom, to front room, London town house to country pile.
There’s a hero who needs an heir and might come into a title he doesn’t want (he’s just a simple pig farmer y’all!) and an interesting (she’s good with numbers folks!), somewhat on the shelf heroine who is Not Your Typical Woman. In some ways it’s very insipid.
Except, our hero Sir Joseph Carrington is, extremely sexy and he and Lady Louisa have an extremely cute courtship and I will read this book over and over to watch them get together. He has a sexy voice that gives her the feels! He reads her poetry! She saves him from all the boring women who are just interested in marriage! He imagines kissing her neck! Just trust me, it’s swell. And the sex scenes are pretty great.
That said, the Big Secret they are keeping from one another and the very non-villainous villain threatening to expose those secrets are completely pointless. The last 20% of the book concentrates on that and brings in seemingly every couple from the wider Windham universe. Frankly, you could lop off this last 20% and the book would lose nothing, this is an extremely low angst book and attempting to add in some angst and intrigue just doesn't work.
A generous 4 stars because Sir Joseph is the bomb.
So, last week I decided to treat myself to a reread of one of my comfort books by one of my comfort authors.
Look, there’s not too much to say about this. It’s suuuper classic Burrowes. We go from ballroom, to front room, London town house to country pile.
There’s a hero who needs an heir and might come into a title he doesn’t want (he’s just a simple pig farmer y’all!) and an interesting (she’s good with numbers folks!), somewhat on the shelf heroine who is Not Your Typical Woman. In some ways it’s very insipid.
Except, our hero Sir Joseph Carrington is, extremely sexy and he and Lady Louisa have an extremely cute courtship and I will read this book over and over to watch them get together. He has a sexy voice that gives her the feels! He reads her poetry! She saves him from all the boring women who are just interested in marriage! He imagines kissing her neck! Just trust me, it’s swell. And the sex scenes are pretty great.
That said, the Big Secret they are keeping from one another and the very non-villainous villain threatening to expose those secrets are completely pointless. The last 20% of the book concentrates on that and brings in seemingly every couple from the wider Windham universe. Frankly, you could lop off this last 20% and the book would lose nothing, this is an extremely low angst book and attempting to add in some angst and intrigue just doesn't work.
A generous 4 stars because Sir Joseph is the bomb.
November 30, 2021
3.5 stars rounded up.
Lady Louisa Windham is the most reserved daughter in a very flamboyant family, but she’s well aware that her reputation could come crashing down at any time thanks to the racy poetry she published under a pseudonym on a dare from her brother. She and her family have been systematically buying all the copies, but not in time to prevent a fortune hunter who attempts to publicly compromise her and then extort money from her even after she has married to save her reputation.
Sir Joseph Carrington steps in to save Louisa’s reputation by offering marriage. With his romantic poetry recitations and skills at dancing, it soon becomes clear that their match can be one of much more than convenience, if each can overcome the secrets that are being used against them.
I enjoyed this story, but it wasn’t quite the light, Christmassy fluff I was expecting. Joseph was a lovely and romantic hero, but as I usually do, I just wanted more communication between the MCs. Joseph and Louisa developed this great relationship, but each kept a pretty big secret from the other for quite a bit longer than I think they should have. That said, this book didn’t go where I thought it was going and I am so happy about that. It seemed like these secrets would be used to drive a wedge between the newly married couple, as is the case in many examples of the marriage of convenience trope, but happily not so here. Yes, they kept secrets, but Joseph and Louisa had both pretty much guessed the other’s secret and they were both understanding, and neither was angry. Instead, they had built a trust and friendship into their relationship, and it was strong enough to withstand the challenge and foil the would-be blackmailer. Though I still wasn’t really a fan of the way Joseph revealed his big secret, I really enjoyed that aspect of relationship strength and development as well as the Christmas setting. I could’ve done without the side monologues with the Prince Regent, but at the same time, given the Christmas setting, I wasn’t as bothered by them as I otherwise might’ve been and they served as comic relief. As did the antics of Louisa’s brothers, though perhaps too much in their cases, along with being hard to keep track of. This was nothing too special, but enjoyable and worth the listen.
Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspo...
Lady Louisa Windham is the most reserved daughter in a very flamboyant family, but she’s well aware that her reputation could come crashing down at any time thanks to the racy poetry she published under a pseudonym on a dare from her brother. She and her family have been systematically buying all the copies, but not in time to prevent a fortune hunter who attempts to publicly compromise her and then extort money from her even after she has married to save her reputation.
Sir Joseph Carrington steps in to save Louisa’s reputation by offering marriage. With his romantic poetry recitations and skills at dancing, it soon becomes clear that their match can be one of much more than convenience, if each can overcome the secrets that are being used against them.
I enjoyed this story, but it wasn’t quite the light, Christmassy fluff I was expecting. Joseph was a lovely and romantic hero, but as I usually do, I just wanted more communication between the MCs. Joseph and Louisa developed this great relationship, but each kept a pretty big secret from the other for quite a bit longer than I think they should have. That said, this book didn’t go where I thought it was going and I am so happy about that. It seemed like these secrets would be used to drive a wedge between the newly married couple, as is the case in many examples of the marriage of convenience trope, but happily not so here. Yes, they kept secrets, but Joseph and Louisa had both pretty much guessed the other’s secret and they were both understanding, and neither was angry. Instead, they had built a trust and friendship into their relationship, and it was strong enough to withstand the challenge and foil the would-be blackmailer. Though I still wasn’t really a fan of the way Joseph revealed his big secret, I really enjoyed that aspect of relationship strength and development as well as the Christmas setting. I could’ve done without the side monologues with the Prince Regent, but at the same time, given the Christmas setting, I wasn’t as bothered by them as I otherwise might’ve been and they served as comic relief. As did the antics of Louisa’s brothers, though perhaps too much in their cases, along with being hard to keep track of. This was nothing too special, but enjoyable and worth the listen.
Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspo...
March 27, 2021
I really wish we got the story that was in the summary, the simplicity of it seemed endearingly straightforward.
Maybe it’s my mood or the Windham series has a different style compared to Burrowes recent works, but I didnt find this book approachable at all. It was tough to read for me because it felt like we were dropped in on the couple mid-courtship. I havent read the previous Windham series novels so I dont know if their story started earlier, but in the first chapter of this novel Louisa and Joseph had already met and formed a friendship with each other.
Instead, the book is filled with details about political machinations, poncy cousins, scheming neighbors, an assault, abusive nannies, cheating wives, secret bastard children that sully the hero’s image for nearly half the novel , etc. With so many plot points, none of them are done any justice and no one speaks about any consequences thereof.
Secrets are kept for a large part of the novel, from the hero, from the heroine, from the hero’s dependents, etc. I wanted to see pay-off and conclusion to those storylines. Instead, all of these secrets converge at the end of the novel in a humorous reveal. Which is fine if I was expecting it, but I wasnt. This wasnt ever billed as a comedic satirical romance where a big laugh at the end is the pay off.
They have weighted emotional conversations in the beginning of their courtship, I dont think it was wrong of me to wish they would continue the same in their marriage. If you’re looking for a strong compatible couple, Louisa and Joseph definitely have that in spades. But, I wish they were given a more deserving book.
Maybe it’s my mood or the Windham series has a different style compared to Burrowes recent works, but I didnt find this book approachable at all. It was tough to read for me because it felt like we were dropped in on the couple mid-courtship. I havent read the previous Windham series novels so I dont know if their story started earlier, but in the first chapter of this novel Louisa and Joseph had already met and formed a friendship with each other.
Instead, the book is filled with details about political machinations, poncy cousins, scheming neighbors, an assault, abusive nannies, cheating wives, secret bastard children that sully the hero’s image for nearly half the novel , etc. With so many plot points, none of them are done any justice and no one speaks about any consequences thereof.
Secrets are kept for a large part of the novel, from the hero, from the heroine, from the hero’s dependents, etc. I wanted to see pay-off and conclusion to those storylines. Instead, all of these secrets converge at the end of the novel in a humorous reveal. Which is fine if I was expecting it, but I wasnt. This wasnt ever billed as a comedic satirical romance where a big laugh at the end is the pay off.
They have weighted emotional conversations in the beginning of their courtship, I dont think it was wrong of me to wish they would continue the same in their marriage. If you’re looking for a strong compatible couple, Louisa and Joseph definitely have that in spades. But, I wish they were given a more deserving book.
November 28, 2012
3.5 stars.
On the whole I liked this book. It's strong point was the realistic relationship between the hero and the heroine. It was a nice gentle falling into friendship and then love between two nice people. The gruff hero was particularly fun to read about. The conflict was all external and that is where the book lost some points. Both of them had something to hide and what they were hiding was really not all that dreadful.
Also problematic was the tone of the book. The author was trying too hard to make it period style comedy of manners that the story telling got lost in a bit of stilted language.
On the whole I liked this book. It's strong point was the realistic relationship between the hero and the heroine. It was a nice gentle falling into friendship and then love between two nice people. The gruff hero was particularly fun to read about. The conflict was all external and that is where the book lost some points. Both of them had something to hide and what they were hiding was really not all that dreadful.
Also problematic was the tone of the book. The author was trying too hard to make it period style comedy of manners that the story telling got lost in a bit of stilted language.
October 14, 2012
Grace Burrowes' excellence knows no bounds as demonstrated in her latest release, LADY LOUISA'S CHRISTMAS KNIGHT. This holiday romance is the present historical romances fans have been waiting for!
Lady Louisa has a secret. One that could destroy her and her family if it is revealed. When a man compromises her and threatens to ruin her reputation, her friend Sir Joseph Carrington saves the day and offers for her hand. Though he thinks she is marrying below her status and also her own expectations, Louisa wholeheartedly disagrees. She has always admired Carrington and his two adorable daughters. Nothing would please her more than to start a new chapter of her life as his wife. While they slowly build a passionate and affectionate relationship, guilt weighs heavy on their shoulders as they struggle to contain their personal secrets. Both know one day they will have to come clean with the truth, but when all is revealed, will their marriage survive?
If it has Grace Burrowes name on it, count me in. It is simply impossible for this author to let you down. With such an eloquent and sophisticated prose, it is easy to become mesmerized by this beautiful story. Which is why LADY LOUISA'S CHRISTMAS KNIGHT is easy for me to recommend this holiday season. This new novel, which is somewhat different from previous installments of the Windham series, gives readers a great glimpse at the diverse world and characters Ms Burrowes is capable of creating. Fans of the Windham series will love revisiting the family and the various couples, but this can be read as a stand alone. I have read some, but not all of the previous novels in this series and made it through LADY LOUISA'S CHRISTMAS KNIGHT with no issues whatsoever. However, if you have read the previous novels, I will say it is much more enjoyable to encounter these characters again.
I fell in love with Sir Joseph Carrington by the end of the second page. He was certainly an uncomplicated man, demonstrated by the way he appreciated the simple things in life. He never took anything for granted and, because of his experiences in the war, appreciated his blessings in life. He had a matter-of-fact attitude where he rarely held back the truth. Also, the man had such an enormous heart. Joseph would do everything to protect others regardless of the cost. Even though he is a highly intelligent and charming man, his doubts about Louisa's feelings were always endearing. Joseph constantly thought himself unworthy of her affections because of their different social standings, but constantly proved his worth in every way that mattered.
Ms. Burrowes made it easy to see what a great partner Louisa would be for Joseph fairly early on. Not only does she have a generous heart like Joseph, but she was also a sensible character. Even though she was a duke's daughter, she didn't want to live the life everyone expected her to. She wanted simple things and was rarely impressed by grand gestures. She is a brave beauty, displaying everything you would expect from a historical heroine. On top of everything, she is extremely intelligent and excels at nearly everything she attempts. You would think this would make her somewhat vain, but it does the exact opposite. It humbles her in an adorable and charming way. What is even better is how Joseph encourages her to display her cleverness and never hold back. She never has cause to feel ashamed or embarrassed by her abilities and this is when she truly begins to shine.
Although the development of Joseph and Louisa's romance is not typical compared to Ms Burrowes' previous stories, I still enjoyed it immensely. Their marriage is considered to be forced even though they absolutely adore each other before they say their vows. While they didn't vocalize their feelings immediately, they were still openly honest about their relationship. They way they communicate with one another is utterly sweet and touching. Joseph recites the most beautiful poetry at the most opportune times and Louisa is always there to encourage him when he doubts himself. It is not just love you see so obviously throughout their developing relationship but respect and admiration. They make such a perfect pair because they are compatible in so many different ways.
As is the case for Grace Burrowes' entire Windham series, this is a historical romance you should not miss! LADY LOUISA'S CHRISTMAS KNIGHT is a splendidly fabulous novel! This practically perfect romance is a true Christmas treat!
Lisa Jo @ The Romance Reviews
Lady Louisa has a secret. One that could destroy her and her family if it is revealed. When a man compromises her and threatens to ruin her reputation, her friend Sir Joseph Carrington saves the day and offers for her hand. Though he thinks she is marrying below her status and also her own expectations, Louisa wholeheartedly disagrees. She has always admired Carrington and his two adorable daughters. Nothing would please her more than to start a new chapter of her life as his wife. While they slowly build a passionate and affectionate relationship, guilt weighs heavy on their shoulders as they struggle to contain their personal secrets. Both know one day they will have to come clean with the truth, but when all is revealed, will their marriage survive?
If it has Grace Burrowes name on it, count me in. It is simply impossible for this author to let you down. With such an eloquent and sophisticated prose, it is easy to become mesmerized by this beautiful story. Which is why LADY LOUISA'S CHRISTMAS KNIGHT is easy for me to recommend this holiday season. This new novel, which is somewhat different from previous installments of the Windham series, gives readers a great glimpse at the diverse world and characters Ms Burrowes is capable of creating. Fans of the Windham series will love revisiting the family and the various couples, but this can be read as a stand alone. I have read some, but not all of the previous novels in this series and made it through LADY LOUISA'S CHRISTMAS KNIGHT with no issues whatsoever. However, if you have read the previous novels, I will say it is much more enjoyable to encounter these characters again.
I fell in love with Sir Joseph Carrington by the end of the second page. He was certainly an uncomplicated man, demonstrated by the way he appreciated the simple things in life. He never took anything for granted and, because of his experiences in the war, appreciated his blessings in life. He had a matter-of-fact attitude where he rarely held back the truth. Also, the man had such an enormous heart. Joseph would do everything to protect others regardless of the cost. Even though he is a highly intelligent and charming man, his doubts about Louisa's feelings were always endearing. Joseph constantly thought himself unworthy of her affections because of their different social standings, but constantly proved his worth in every way that mattered.
Ms. Burrowes made it easy to see what a great partner Louisa would be for Joseph fairly early on. Not only does she have a generous heart like Joseph, but she was also a sensible character. Even though she was a duke's daughter, she didn't want to live the life everyone expected her to. She wanted simple things and was rarely impressed by grand gestures. She is a brave beauty, displaying everything you would expect from a historical heroine. On top of everything, she is extremely intelligent and excels at nearly everything she attempts. You would think this would make her somewhat vain, but it does the exact opposite. It humbles her in an adorable and charming way. What is even better is how Joseph encourages her to display her cleverness and never hold back. She never has cause to feel ashamed or embarrassed by her abilities and this is when she truly begins to shine.
Although the development of Joseph and Louisa's romance is not typical compared to Ms Burrowes' previous stories, I still enjoyed it immensely. Their marriage is considered to be forced even though they absolutely adore each other before they say their vows. While they didn't vocalize their feelings immediately, they were still openly honest about their relationship. They way they communicate with one another is utterly sweet and touching. Joseph recites the most beautiful poetry at the most opportune times and Louisa is always there to encourage him when he doubts himself. It is not just love you see so obviously throughout their developing relationship but respect and admiration. They make such a perfect pair because they are compatible in so many different ways.
As is the case for Grace Burrowes' entire Windham series, this is a historical romance you should not miss! LADY LOUISA'S CHRISTMAS KNIGHT is a splendidly fabulous novel! This practically perfect romance is a true Christmas treat!
Lisa Jo @ The Romance Reviews
August 27, 2019
No ha estado mal. La puntuación no es muy exacta, porque estaría cerca de las 3 pero sin llegar a ellas ya que ha habido algunas cosas de libro que no me han acabado de cuajar.
Tal vez haya sido en parte culpa mía porque sin saber que era una serie, he empezado éste que sería el 6º y a medida que aparecían familiares me he ido perdiendo.
La primera vez que me he perdido ha sido a la hora de narrar la historia por parte de la autora. Sí, había capítulos, pero entre unas escenas y otras con distintos personajes no había un cierre apropiado; porque tan pronto estaba leyendo una escena entre Louisa y Joseph en medio del campo , como estaba en medio de un gran salón del baile con los padres de a misma.
Y la segunda ha sido cuando la trama de misterio de ambos protagonistas se ha presentado. Me ha parecido que ha sido muy light para todo lo que se supone que iba a provocar y lo han adivinado ellos por obra y gracia de la casualidad y la listeza. Y a ver, puedo entender que aten cabos, pero ¿Saber todo con un par de conversaciones y aún así no decir nada y seguir haciéndose los locos con ello? Todo muy raro.
Pero no todo es malo. La historia en general es bonita (aunque a veces un poco cursi para mi gusto con tanta poesía), ha habido toques de humor bastante buenos (tener como amigos a una cerda y a un caballo no se encuentra todos los días) y la historia de amor se ha llevado bastante bien, además al ser un ambiente navideño ha habido bastantes escenas románticas entre varios protagonistas muy bien llevadas.
Le recomendaría si quieres leer una historia bastante sencilla, sin muchos comederos de cabeza, con unos personajes que no tienen muchos conflictos matrimoniales y que transcurre en Navidad. Eso sí, es casi obligado si no quieres perderte leer los 5 anteriores.
Tal vez haya sido en parte culpa mía porque sin saber que era una serie, he empezado éste que sería el 6º y a medida que aparecían familiares me he ido perdiendo.
La primera vez que me he perdido ha sido a la hora de narrar la historia por parte de la autora. Sí, había capítulos, pero entre unas escenas y otras con distintos personajes no había un cierre apropiado; porque tan pronto estaba leyendo una escena entre Louisa y Joseph en medio del campo , como estaba en medio de un gran salón del baile con los padres de a misma.
Y la segunda ha sido cuando la trama de misterio de ambos protagonistas se ha presentado. Me ha parecido que ha sido muy light para todo lo que se supone que iba a provocar y lo han adivinado ellos por obra y gracia de la casualidad y la listeza. Y a ver, puedo entender que aten cabos, pero ¿Saber todo con un par de conversaciones y aún así no decir nada y seguir haciéndose los locos con ello? Todo muy raro.
Pero no todo es malo. La historia en general es bonita (aunque a veces un poco cursi para mi gusto con tanta poesía), ha habido toques de humor bastante buenos (tener como amigos a una cerda y a un caballo no se encuentra todos los días) y la historia de amor se ha llevado bastante bien, además al ser un ambiente navideño ha habido bastantes escenas románticas entre varios protagonistas muy bien llevadas.
Le recomendaría si quieres leer una historia bastante sencilla, sin muchos comederos de cabeza, con unos personajes que no tienen muchos conflictos matrimoniales y que transcurre en Navidad. Eso sí, es casi obligado si no quieres perderte leer los 5 anteriores.
December 2, 2017
2.5 stars.
Ugh. Why can't I keep my authors straight? I didn't realize this was Grace Burrowes. I'm not really a fan. Okay, that's a bit of an understatement. I don't like her books. I just don't. I have no idea why I didn't realize who this was. But whatever. Shit happens.
This book was a confusing mess. Lady Louisa has a secret she's trying to keep buried. Sir Joseph is a widow with two little girls and has a whopping fourteen secrets he'd rather weren't brought to light. (And yes. It is as weird as it sounds.) Lady Louisa and Sir Joseph sort of like each other but Louisa isn't sold on him quite yet. A while passes and they really like each other. A new scandal which is absolutely not Louisa's fault happens and Sir Joseph rescues her and her reputation. Now they try to make things work while keeping their respective secrets secret, at least until their relationship is more established. Oh, and this takes place around Christmas.
This book was fine. There was very little angst. I can appreciate that in a Christmas romance. It was just weird. As are all of the Grace Burrowes books I've read. Her books are so off balance. Half the book is ridiculously unromantic and the other half is almost too mushy. It lacks a happy medium. Louisa and Joseph's eventual marriage was weird. (Not a spoiler, this is HR. Of course, marriage happens) They were always calling each other Husband and Wife to the point where instead of it being romantic, it almost sounded like they were mocking each other. Joseph was less awkward with his prize pig than he was with his children. The entire storyline about his children's horrible nanny was completely unnecessary. There are better ways to show that Louisa has impeccable skills when it comes to running a household. There was also a distinct lack of heat in this book. There's sex, sure. But it was subpar, IMO.
I really, really, didn't understand Sir Joseph's bevy of secrets. It was never really explained. The explanation was basically a couple of sentences. And the ramifications aren't really dealt with. Just the fact that it turned out to be less of a problem than Joseph thought it would be. I was super confused.
Oh well. It was a pleasant enough. It was free. And it took place around Christmas. In many ways, it was exactly what I was looking for. The only downside is that it really wasn't great.
Ugh. Why can't I keep my authors straight? I didn't realize this was Grace Burrowes. I'm not really a fan. Okay, that's a bit of an understatement. I don't like her books. I just don't. I have no idea why I didn't realize who this was. But whatever. Shit happens.
This book was a confusing mess. Lady Louisa has a secret she's trying to keep buried. Sir Joseph is a widow with two little girls and has a whopping fourteen secrets he'd rather weren't brought to light. (And yes. It is as weird as it sounds.) Lady Louisa and Sir Joseph sort of like each other but Louisa isn't sold on him quite yet. A while passes and they really like each other. A new scandal which is absolutely not Louisa's fault happens and Sir Joseph rescues her and her reputation. Now they try to make things work while keeping their respective secrets secret, at least until their relationship is more established. Oh, and this takes place around Christmas.
This book was fine. There was very little angst. I can appreciate that in a Christmas romance. It was just weird. As are all of the Grace Burrowes books I've read. Her books are so off balance. Half the book is ridiculously unromantic and the other half is almost too mushy. It lacks a happy medium. Louisa and Joseph's eventual marriage was weird. (Not a spoiler, this is HR. Of course, marriage happens) They were always calling each other Husband and Wife to the point where instead of it being romantic, it almost sounded like they were mocking each other. Joseph was less awkward with his prize pig than he was with his children. The entire storyline about his children's horrible nanny was completely unnecessary. There are better ways to show that Louisa has impeccable skills when it comes to running a household. There was also a distinct lack of heat in this book. There's sex, sure. But it was subpar, IMO.
I really, really, didn't understand Sir Joseph's bevy of secrets. It was never really explained. The explanation was basically a couple of sentences. And the ramifications aren't really dealt with. Just the fact that it turned out to be less of a problem than Joseph thought it would be. I was super confused.
Oh well. It was a pleasant enough. It was free. And it took place around Christmas. In many ways, it was exactly what I was looking for. The only downside is that it really wasn't great.
December 12, 2019
I listened to the audio version of this book. I hadn’t read a historical for a while and I’m not sure why. I enjoyed it. It was good combination of sweet and sexy. Throw in some Christmas and it’s great.
May 20, 2014
Author: Grace Burrowes
First published: 2012
Length: 4598 locations, 360 pages
Setting: London, Kent, Surrey. Regency. (Reference to King George the Fourth, Regent from 1811 and King 1820-1830).
Sex: Reasonably explicit but not frequent. Somewhat fade-to-black.
Hero: Widowed with children. Knight but heir to Baron. Injured leg (causes pain and limps).
Heroine: Daughter of a Duke. Brilliant.
Includes: A family tree. Author's note with the poems referenced. Excerpts from The Bridegroom Wore Plaid and Lady Eve's Indiscretion.
An enjoyable Christmas story with a heartwarming HEA and appearances by all our favourites.
HOWEVER.
It's been a while since I've read other books in the series and I find the constant inclusion of the others intrusive. I know it's typical of a "Christmas" book but still ... Why are they here? I want to hear about Louisa and Joseph not Emmalline and St Just.
They take away from Louisa's romance, thrusting themselves forward like egocentric trolls. Life isn't all about them. Others get to have lives, too, you know.
And it was Louisa and Joseph's turn to shine.
If Burrowes hadn't kept getting side-tracked by the Windham's we might have gotten to know Sebastian and his family, seen the relationship between Fleur, Amanda and Louisa develop, better understood Joseph's past, and made sense of Lionel's reason for existing.
But we didn't.
And I am disappointed.
This is a fun read with a good story and likeable characters that is lost in an abundance of Christmas cheer and author sqweeing.
The Duke's Daughters:
Book 1 Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish - Sophie Windham and Vim Charpentier
Book 2 Lady Maggie's Secret Scandal - Maggie Windham and Benjamin Hazlit (half brother to Charpentier)
Book 3 Lady Louisa's Christmas Knight - Louisa Windham and Sir Joseph Carrington
Book 4 Lady Eve's Indiscretion - Lucas Denning and Eve Windham
Book 5 Lady Jenny's Christmas Portrait - Jenny Windham and Lord Elijah Harrington
References:
Author's website: http://graceburrowes.com/
-CR-
First published: 2012
Length: 4598 locations, 360 pages
Setting: London, Kent, Surrey. Regency. (Reference to King George the Fourth, Regent from 1811 and King 1820-1830).
Sex: Reasonably explicit but not frequent. Somewhat fade-to-black.
Hero: Widowed with children. Knight but heir to Baron. Injured leg (causes pain and limps).
Heroine: Daughter of a Duke. Brilliant.
Includes: A family tree. Author's note with the poems referenced. Excerpts from The Bridegroom Wore Plaid and Lady Eve's Indiscretion.
An enjoyable Christmas story with a heartwarming HEA and appearances by all our favourites.
HOWEVER.
It's been a while since I've read other books in the series and I find the constant inclusion of the others intrusive. I know it's typical of a "Christmas" book but still ... Why are they here? I want to hear about Louisa and Joseph not Emmalline and St Just.
They take away from Louisa's romance, thrusting themselves forward like egocentric trolls. Life isn't all about them. Others get to have lives, too, you know.
And it was Louisa and Joseph's turn to shine.
If Burrowes hadn't kept getting side-tracked by the Windham's we might have gotten to know Sebastian and his family, seen the relationship between Fleur, Amanda and Louisa develop, better understood Joseph's past, and made sense of Lionel's reason for existing.
But we didn't.
And I am disappointed.
This is a fun read with a good story and likeable characters that is lost in an abundance of Christmas cheer and author sqweeing.
The Duke's Daughters:
Book 1 Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish - Sophie Windham and Vim Charpentier
Book 2 Lady Maggie's Secret Scandal - Maggie Windham and Benjamin Hazlit (half brother to Charpentier)
Book 3 Lady Louisa's Christmas Knight - Louisa Windham and Sir Joseph Carrington
Book 4 Lady Eve's Indiscretion - Lucas Denning and Eve Windham
Book 5 Lady Jenny's Christmas Portrait - Jenny Windham and Lord Elijah Harrington
References:
Author's website: http://graceburrowes.com/
-CR-
October 2, 2012
I have come to love Grace Burrowes' Windham family series. The series centers around the Windham children, sons and daughters of the Duke and Duchess of Moreland. With 3 brothers and 5 sisters, the family is always involved in each other's business and personal lives. In Lady Louisa's Christmas Knight, it is Louisa's turn to find herself a husband.
While I enjoyed Lady Louisa's Christmas Knight, it is not my favorite book of the series. From the beginning, I was a bit confused. Sir Joseph is the love interest to this story, he is a former soldier and pig farmer. He is not titled and has no desire to be, which was perfectly fine by me and Lady Louisa did not seem to mind either. However, Joseph constantly considered himself beneath Louisa while doing all he could to avoid a title. He was attracted to Louisa but did not want to work to really win her over. I felt like there were contradictions throughout the book, leaving me puzzled at times.
Joseph and Louisa are a wonderful match for each other. They are both socially awkward, but they understand each other. The couple work together and fall into a relationship out of practicality and mutual attraction. There is not much wooing on either side, but it works for this couple, and sparks ignite for them. Joseph understands Louisa whereas Louisa's family does not understand her most of the time. Louisa is brilliant, but she was used by her brothers when they were younger for her intelligence and then ignored once they were older. While there is a lot of love in the Windham family, there are also mistakes and misunderstandings. In the end, the family is always there for each other, which is part of why I love reading this series.
The flow of the story in Lady Louisa's Christmas Knight felt a bit disjointed to me. Both Louisa and Joseph had their own secrets that could cause scandal, but the exact nature of the secrets unraveled very slowly. It left me perplexed for much of the book. Also, I was confused as to who their blackmailer was and how he came by the information. Really, the blackmail didn't make much sense to me. The scandals did not seem that big of a deal to me, or super scandalous. One of Louisa's suitors, Lionel, was involved somehow, but his involvement is not made very clear. I felt like some threads were left open in this book and could have used more clarity.
Despite my puzzlement in places, I still enjoyed reading Lady Louisa's Christmas Knight. I always enjoy reading about the Windham family and seeing what they are up to. I am attached to the characters and I am looking forward to the next installment in the series.
*I received this book in exchange for an honest review*
While I enjoyed Lady Louisa's Christmas Knight, it is not my favorite book of the series. From the beginning, I was a bit confused. Sir Joseph is the love interest to this story, he is a former soldier and pig farmer. He is not titled and has no desire to be, which was perfectly fine by me and Lady Louisa did not seem to mind either. However, Joseph constantly considered himself beneath Louisa while doing all he could to avoid a title. He was attracted to Louisa but did not want to work to really win her over. I felt like there were contradictions throughout the book, leaving me puzzled at times.
Joseph and Louisa are a wonderful match for each other. They are both socially awkward, but they understand each other. The couple work together and fall into a relationship out of practicality and mutual attraction. There is not much wooing on either side, but it works for this couple, and sparks ignite for them. Joseph understands Louisa whereas Louisa's family does not understand her most of the time. Louisa is brilliant, but she was used by her brothers when they were younger for her intelligence and then ignored once they were older. While there is a lot of love in the Windham family, there are also mistakes and misunderstandings. In the end, the family is always there for each other, which is part of why I love reading this series.
The flow of the story in Lady Louisa's Christmas Knight felt a bit disjointed to me. Both Louisa and Joseph had their own secrets that could cause scandal, but the exact nature of the secrets unraveled very slowly. It left me perplexed for much of the book. Also, I was confused as to who their blackmailer was and how he came by the information. Really, the blackmail didn't make much sense to me. The scandals did not seem that big of a deal to me, or super scandalous. One of Louisa's suitors, Lionel, was involved somehow, but his involvement is not made very clear. I felt like some threads were left open in this book and could have used more clarity.
Despite my puzzlement in places, I still enjoyed reading Lady Louisa's Christmas Knight. I always enjoy reading about the Windham family and seeing what they are up to. I am attached to the characters and I am looking forward to the next installment in the series.
*I received this book in exchange for an honest review*
May 8, 2013
Okay, so I'm reading this series and as I have mentioned in other reviews, I generally finish a series I start. And I liked a couple of the books in it a lot, but this was just not good. Here are the problems I had:
1) None of the conflicts make any sense. Heroine translated a book of smutty poetry as a young lady? So what? She's also a learned scholar and corresponds with astronomers, so I'm not sure that it's THAT that would doom her London chances. Hero does not actually have 14 bastard children but legally adopted a bunch of orphans because he's a generally good dude? If the Prince Regent can figure this out how is it even possible that this is a secret? I am willing to bend a lot of reality in romance novel plots, but none of these made any sense. It also means that they clearly resolve in about three paragraphs and then the book ends.
2) The characters are just off. Why do they call each other "Husband" and "Wife" all the time? It's really weird. Louisa makes NO sense, and I know the book keeps saying she's smart but she's not written smart, if that makes sense. And Joseph just comes across as OLD. In the beginning it seems like he has a drinking problem, but then we're apparently just cool with that. He talks weird, and he's not particularly interesting.
3) There is something seriously wrong with the politics of Louisa at the end. So I totally get that these people have something like 15-16 kids at the end, and that's before they even start having biological children, which they seem to have done in the epilogue. (Also it's inevitable given the sex they're having.) Which is a lot of children, even at the time, especially for a first-time mother and largely uninvolved (or at least oblivious) dad. But Louisa doesn't just embrace it - she has an explicit epiphany where she's like, "I thought I liked science and math and writing and being super awesome, but REALLY now I'm realizing that before that I ACTUALLY wanted to be a mother MORE and maybe I just liked those [super awesome] things to cope." Which is weird and unnecessary, since she still publishes her poetry book. So I just don't get it, I guess. Why do that? It's certainly not a conversation a woman would have had at the time (outside the world of proto-feminist romance novels), and it's not consistent with her ongoing behavior, and it's just kind of a weird dig at careers.
4) Seriously, why does this author insist on having main characters discuss menstruation all the time? We're on like 4 of 6 books here. It rings as incredibly anachronistic and also weird, kind of gross, and does not add to the story.
1) None of the conflicts make any sense. Heroine translated a book of smutty poetry as a young lady? So what? She's also a learned scholar and corresponds with astronomers, so I'm not sure that it's THAT that would doom her London chances. Hero does not actually have 14 bastard children but legally adopted a bunch of orphans because he's a generally good dude? If the Prince Regent can figure this out how is it even possible that this is a secret? I am willing to bend a lot of reality in romance novel plots, but none of these made any sense. It also means that they clearly resolve in about three paragraphs and then the book ends.
2) The characters are just off. Why do they call each other "Husband" and "Wife" all the time? It's really weird. Louisa makes NO sense, and I know the book keeps saying she's smart but she's not written smart, if that makes sense. And Joseph just comes across as OLD. In the beginning it seems like he has a drinking problem, but then we're apparently just cool with that. He talks weird, and he's not particularly interesting.
3) There is something seriously wrong with the politics of Louisa at the end. So I totally get that these people have something like 15-16 kids at the end, and that's before they even start having biological children, which they seem to have done in the epilogue. (Also it's inevitable given the sex they're having.) Which is a lot of children, even at the time, especially for a first-time mother and largely uninvolved (or at least oblivious) dad. But Louisa doesn't just embrace it - she has an explicit epiphany where she's like, "I thought I liked science and math and writing and being super awesome, but REALLY now I'm realizing that before that I ACTUALLY wanted to be a mother MORE and maybe I just liked those [super awesome] things to cope." Which is weird and unnecessary, since she still publishes her poetry book. So I just don't get it, I guess. Why do that? It's certainly not a conversation a woman would have had at the time (outside the world of proto-feminist romance novels), and it's not consistent with her ongoing behavior, and it's just kind of a weird dig at careers.
4) Seriously, why does this author insist on having main characters discuss menstruation all the time? We're on like 4 of 6 books here. It rings as incredibly anachronistic and also weird, kind of gross, and does not add to the story.
February 10, 2016
Another sister takes the stage.
Now we come to Louisa, the brainiac of the Windham family and I think she is the third daughter. Louisa sees numbers; she can calculate numbers in her head. She is really really smart, however she is also a woman so she hides her smart head from the male population of England. She is really not interested in tying herself down to one of those male nincompoops. Besides that, she has a secret.
Then we have Sir Joseph Carrington. He was injured in the war - he limps. He also has two adorable little girls. He's rather a bumbling father; he's a tad bit uncomfortable with his daughters. That doesn't mean he doesn't love them - he does. He's also looking looking for a wife. He also raises pigs, which really doesn't have to do anything with looking for a wife - unless you don't like pigs. Have you ever been in the vicinity of a pig farm? P-U. Not only does he raise pigs, he talks to them (they don't answer back, that would be a different kind of story). He also doesn't care to have a title and he's also got a secret!
Louisa and Joseph get along together right away. They are perfect for each other - the end. Not really, but it should have been. About half way through this story I started to wonder in what order this book was written - not the order it was published, but written. You see for me it has the feel of the three books from the brother's trilogy. There was hardly any conflict, no real tension and it started to drag in the middle.
I do not mind when a romance is developed slowly; in fact some of my favorite books have full, well-rounded romance. Romance that takes a lonnnng time can be very enchanting. Louisa and Joseph could have been a wonderful couple if they had been allowed to have the book all to themselves. Oh sure, we needed to see Percy and Esther and Joseph's daughters and maybe some of Louisa's siblings. This is quite a large connected series. But we didn't need to see Prinny, his stooge Hamburg nor the Duke of Wellington. Prinny and Hamburg have these lonnng conversations about creating an Earldom for Joseph. For me, these were filler and proved a distraction to my enjoyment of the romance between Louisa and Joseph.
I wish Louisa and Joseph had more space dedicated to just them. The story started out well and I liked Louisa and Joseph. I thought their conversations were wonderful. They had the makings of a wonderful romance couple. But then their well-rounded development was overtaken by the silliness of inserting Prinny and Hamburg. Even Wellington was silly. Sad to say my great expectation in the first few chapters didn’t pan out.
KaysBlog
Now we come to Louisa, the brainiac of the Windham family and I think she is the third daughter. Louisa sees numbers; she can calculate numbers in her head. She is really really smart, however she is also a woman so she hides her smart head from the male population of England. She is really not interested in tying herself down to one of those male nincompoops. Besides that, she has a secret.
Then we have Sir Joseph Carrington. He was injured in the war - he limps. He also has two adorable little girls. He's rather a bumbling father; he's a tad bit uncomfortable with his daughters. That doesn't mean he doesn't love them - he does. He's also looking looking for a wife. He also raises pigs, which really doesn't have to do anything with looking for a wife - unless you don't like pigs. Have you ever been in the vicinity of a pig farm? P-U. Not only does he raise pigs, he talks to them (they don't answer back, that would be a different kind of story). He also doesn't care to have a title and he's also got a secret!
Louisa and Joseph get along together right away. They are perfect for each other - the end. Not really, but it should have been. About half way through this story I started to wonder in what order this book was written - not the order it was published, but written. You see for me it has the feel of the three books from the brother's trilogy. There was hardly any conflict, no real tension and it started to drag in the middle.
I do not mind when a romance is developed slowly; in fact some of my favorite books have full, well-rounded romance. Romance that takes a lonnnng time can be very enchanting. Louisa and Joseph could have been a wonderful couple if they had been allowed to have the book all to themselves. Oh sure, we needed to see Percy and Esther and Joseph's daughters and maybe some of Louisa's siblings. This is quite a large connected series. But we didn't need to see Prinny, his stooge Hamburg nor the Duke of Wellington. Prinny and Hamburg have these lonnng conversations about creating an Earldom for Joseph. For me, these were filler and proved a distraction to my enjoyment of the romance between Louisa and Joseph.
I wish Louisa and Joseph had more space dedicated to just them. The story started out well and I liked Louisa and Joseph. I thought their conversations were wonderful. They had the makings of a wonderful romance couple. But then their well-rounded development was overtaken by the silliness of inserting Prinny and Hamburg. Even Wellington was silly. Sad to say my great expectation in the first few chapters didn’t pan out.
KaysBlog
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 7, 2012
This review also appears on my blog at http://www.thegoldenruleof666.blogspo...
I'm a little conflicted about this book. I liked it. I definitely liked it. But I didn't love it. It was good, great even, but not amazing.
I liked the main characters. Louisa was a heroine who refused to change in order to please Society. She does things her own way, much like her sisters. She's very smart, which is partly why she hasn't yet been married. She can do all kinds of math in her head, memorize anything, and understand the most complicated sciences. It made her different than most heroines you encounter. And she was accepting of Joseph, even with the secret she finds out later. She was just an all-around lovely character.
Joseph was also a lovely character. He's very...restful, peaceful, calm. It's not something that is applied to romance heroes very often, but I think it was just what was needed in this case. Louisa needed that kind of man, so Joseph was absolutely perfect for her. He was very sweet and very accepting of Louisa's eccentricities. Even when he finds out about the racy books she wrote, he still stood by her and loved her. Their relationship wasn't explosively passionate. It was soft, sweet, the kind of love that is peaceful. It was very nice to see, a change from what you usually see in romances.
The one problem of this book was that is was rather slow. The story was great, but it moved too slowly. It wasn't boring, but it did detract from my enjoyment. If the plot had just been a little faster paced, I would have adored this book. But the pace kept me from becoming completely riveted. Now, I still liked the book and would recommend it to all romance lovers. But I would have loved it if the plot has moved faster.
Lady Louisa's Christmas Knight was sweet and lovely. It was very good. Not amazing, but worth a read.
3/5
Thanks to Netgalley for a copy!
I'm a little conflicted about this book. I liked it. I definitely liked it. But I didn't love it. It was good, great even, but not amazing.
I liked the main characters. Louisa was a heroine who refused to change in order to please Society. She does things her own way, much like her sisters. She's very smart, which is partly why she hasn't yet been married. She can do all kinds of math in her head, memorize anything, and understand the most complicated sciences. It made her different than most heroines you encounter. And she was accepting of Joseph, even with the secret she finds out later. She was just an all-around lovely character.
Joseph was also a lovely character. He's very...restful, peaceful, calm. It's not something that is applied to romance heroes very often, but I think it was just what was needed in this case. Louisa needed that kind of man, so Joseph was absolutely perfect for her. He was very sweet and very accepting of Louisa's eccentricities. Even when he finds out about the racy books she wrote, he still stood by her and loved her. Their relationship wasn't explosively passionate. It was soft, sweet, the kind of love that is peaceful. It was very nice to see, a change from what you usually see in romances.
The one problem of this book was that is was rather slow. The story was great, but it moved too slowly. It wasn't boring, but it did detract from my enjoyment. If the plot had just been a little faster paced, I would have adored this book. But the pace kept me from becoming completely riveted. Now, I still liked the book and would recommend it to all romance lovers. But I would have loved it if the plot has moved faster.
Lady Louisa's Christmas Knight was sweet and lovely. It was very good. Not amazing, but worth a read.
3/5
Thanks to Netgalley for a copy!
January 10, 2013
Another wonderful historical romance from Grace Burrowes, she does not dissapointed .this is Louisa's storybut so much more; the Windhams family is present throughout which I love, Ms. burrowes continues to include and develop a little more of the Windhams family in each book. Sir Joseph Carrington a neighbor, a knight and a freind of St Just from the war must find a wife and mother for himself and his two daughters, Louisa befriends him at a hunt before Christmas to save him from a pack of Women on the hunt for a man( husband) and the 2 become enamored with each other. Joseph's station presents an issue and if that is not all their is he issue of all his children and Louisa secret.
October 6, 2012
Another great story by Grace Burrowes. Lady Louisa's Christmas Knight does not disappoint. It was a fantastic read with many laugh out lough moments. The love story between Lady Louisa and her Knight is fabulous. Of course with the appearance of the Windham family they add warmth and love to this story and to all of Grace's books. Fantastic read!
November 28, 2020
Read in 2012 but GB is always worthy of a reread IMO.
What I said way back then:
Lady Louisa's Christmas Knight was an enjoyable seasonal romance. It's filled with characters that are likable, an abundance of recurring characters from previous books, orphaned children, two cute little girls, a pig named Lady Ophelia, and a villain who gets pummeled by snow balls.
I liked Lady Louisa. She is one if my favorite heroines - brainy. She is a whiz at all things mathematical, languages, and just about any intellectual pursuit. She is also somewhat vulnerable in that socially she is not polished. In fact, sometimes she is downright awkward. But Lady Louisa has a secret which, if exposed, could be the biggest scandal ever.
Sir Joseph Carrington was also likable, and he, too, is one of my favorite types of hero - the wounded war hero who is unused to gentle touches. Joseph is a widower with two daughters, Fleur and Amanda. Their interactions with Joseph were funny, and they were cute without being annoying. Joseph prefers country to town, talks to his favorite sow, Lady Ophelia, and his horse, Sonnet. But he, too, has a big secret - or should I say secrets.
These two marry when Louisa is put in a compromising position with a very bad character. Louisa is already halfway in love with Joseph, and he with her. The author constructed a relationship between these two that built slowly but inevitably. I found myself smiling at their banter and hesitant courtship.
I suppose the one big criticism I have is the use of secrets to add tension and conflict. It is especially regrettable that these secrets were discovered pretty early on, but neither Louisa nor Joseph came clean until the end. I found this a little annoying and unbelievable. It almost made the ending feel contrived and a bit expected. However, it is a cheerful Christmas book that has all the elements you expect in these seasonal novels as well as an interesting hero and heroine.
And today?
Well pretty much ditto all of the above with the exception that the secrets didn’t bother me as much as in 2012. Go figure. I reckon either reading peeves change or time and place has a lot to do with enjoyment of a book, or both. N’est ce pas?
What I said way back then:
Lady Louisa's Christmas Knight was an enjoyable seasonal romance. It's filled with characters that are likable, an abundance of recurring characters from previous books, orphaned children, two cute little girls, a pig named Lady Ophelia, and a villain who gets pummeled by snow balls.
I liked Lady Louisa. She is one if my favorite heroines - brainy. She is a whiz at all things mathematical, languages, and just about any intellectual pursuit. She is also somewhat vulnerable in that socially she is not polished. In fact, sometimes she is downright awkward. But Lady Louisa has a secret which, if exposed, could be the biggest scandal ever.
Sir Joseph Carrington was also likable, and he, too, is one of my favorite types of hero - the wounded war hero who is unused to gentle touches. Joseph is a widower with two daughters, Fleur and Amanda. Their interactions with Joseph were funny, and they were cute without being annoying. Joseph prefers country to town, talks to his favorite sow, Lady Ophelia, and his horse, Sonnet. But he, too, has a big secret - or should I say secrets.
These two marry when Louisa is put in a compromising position with a very bad character. Louisa is already halfway in love with Joseph, and he with her. The author constructed a relationship between these two that built slowly but inevitably. I found myself smiling at their banter and hesitant courtship.
I suppose the one big criticism I have is the use of secrets to add tension and conflict. It is especially regrettable that these secrets were discovered pretty early on, but neither Louisa nor Joseph came clean until the end. I found this a little annoying and unbelievable. It almost made the ending feel contrived and a bit expected. However, it is a cheerful Christmas book that has all the elements you expect in these seasonal novels as well as an interesting hero and heroine.
And today?
Well pretty much ditto all of the above with the exception that the secrets didn’t bother me as much as in 2012. Go figure. I reckon either reading peeves change or time and place has a lot to do with enjoyment of a book, or both. N’est ce pas?
January 8, 2023
Sheesh. Finally, a solid Regency romance with some wit and flair. I’ve been kissing so many toads lately it’s a wonder I don’t have warty lips! What makes this novel soooo much better than all the nonsense passing itself off as a romance novel? Let me count the ways (in no particular order).
1- this is ACTUAL romance, i.e. the characters have an actual relationship and don’t fall into lust at first sight (I hate that particular trope); they are friends who respect and like one another before they are lovers. Too many “romance” novels are just two hotties getting it on 🙄 lust and romance while not mutually exclusive are NOT equivalent.
2- the characters are both interesting and likeable: a wounded war veteran pig farmer with two motherless daughters and a favorite sow named Lady Ophelia? A heroine who is a genius polyglot whose bluntness and inability to make small talk leave her feeling lonely and desperate to escape the social whirl a duke’s daughter must endure? YES PLEASE.
3- fun secondary characters. It’s lovely to see a family full of couples who love one another. And the Regent and his man are a fun sideline.
4- VOCABULARY: I love a good turn of phrase like this one “Sir Joseph huffed out a sigh then moved them away from the Mistletoe of Damocles….” 🤣 and if I have to look up words…? Heaven! Sure, Ms Burrows probably overuses “fundament” but I forgive her for “lambent”, “sororal” and many more.
5- writing style and dialogue: engaging whilst being sappy vs stilted and boring whilst attempting to be sappy. Both characters are well-educated and sensible (and YES that IS romantic!) and love poetry. I enjoyed the literary allusions and quoted verse that peppered this novel.
There’s more but that’s all I have time for now.
Content: this is not a CLEAN romance - be warned there are multiple sex scenes: while I prefer fade to black and less is more, at least these scenes reflect the genuine caring and kindness of both characters and the fun that can (and should) be had in the marriage bed.
1- this is ACTUAL romance, i.e. the characters have an actual relationship and don’t fall into lust at first sight (I hate that particular trope); they are friends who respect and like one another before they are lovers. Too many “romance” novels are just two hotties getting it on 🙄 lust and romance while not mutually exclusive are NOT equivalent.
2- the characters are both interesting and likeable: a wounded war veteran pig farmer with two motherless daughters and a favorite sow named Lady Ophelia? A heroine who is a genius polyglot whose bluntness and inability to make small talk leave her feeling lonely and desperate to escape the social whirl a duke’s daughter must endure? YES PLEASE.
3- fun secondary characters. It’s lovely to see a family full of couples who love one another. And the Regent and his man are a fun sideline.
4- VOCABULARY: I love a good turn of phrase like this one “Sir Joseph huffed out a sigh then moved them away from the Mistletoe of Damocles….” 🤣 and if I have to look up words…? Heaven! Sure, Ms Burrows probably overuses “fundament” but I forgive her for “lambent”, “sororal” and many more.
5- writing style and dialogue: engaging whilst being sappy vs stilted and boring whilst attempting to be sappy. Both characters are well-educated and sensible (and YES that IS romantic!) and love poetry. I enjoyed the literary allusions and quoted verse that peppered this novel.
There’s more but that’s all I have time for now.
Content: this is not a CLEAN romance - be warned there are multiple sex scenes: while I prefer fade to black and less is more, at least these scenes reflect the genuine caring and kindness of both characters and the fun that can (and should) be had in the marriage bed.
March 9, 2020
I’m actually going to round up to 4 stars on this one. The plot has some holes and points that stretch believability beyond my typical comfort level, which often bothers me, but I enjoyed the characters together so I decided to just take the story as if it were a play. When everything aligns conveniently at the end of a play I don’t scoff and think ‘likely story!’ lol, I just take it for what it is. And for what this is, I enjoyed it.
couldn-t-finish
December 29, 2021DNF at 30%. There are more characters in this book than you could shake a stick at and all of them have more meaningful interactions than the two main characters. Further, I don't really care about anybody at this point and feel that I should at least be invested in SOMEBODY by now! Letting this one go.
Not scoring because I didn't finish and that would not be fair to the author.
Not scoring because I didn't finish and that would not be fair to the author.
December 26, 2022
A great start, unfortunately the pace slows and I was struggling to keep reading as Joseph and Louise seemed to tip toe around each other when it was obvious they were smitten with each. Not far from the end, circumstances force a decision, so much happens secrets are revealed and a blackmail apprehended. Good ending!
January 6, 2019
Another wonderful story by this very talented writer. Always enjoy her work.
November 14, 2019
Protagonistas: Louisa & Joseph
Profesiones: Heredera/Escritora & Baron/Conde
Pais: Londres
Profesiones: Heredera/Escritora & Baron/Conde
Pais: Londres
July 19, 2022
I particularly liked Louisa so I could see myself reading it again some day.
Library copy
Library copy
November 10, 2022
Overly drawn out story about a sweet marriage and secrets. The couple are somewhat lured into marriage, both are pleased about it. But his secret involves 'his' many children, and her secrets involves her brothers. It's sweetly tedious steam, where he should have been open about his not so dirty secret and she should have openly asked for her brothers to do the right thing. I found this couple a little boring.
March 13, 2023
Very suited to each other
I totally relate to Louisa — too scholarly to expect or want to marry, until she finds someone who admires it. And there’s a great moment where they discover each others’ secrets, and each find that it’s something the other one already knows and loves.
I totally relate to Louisa — too scholarly to expect or want to marry, until she finds someone who admires it. And there’s a great moment where they discover each others’ secrets, and each find that it’s something the other one already knows and loves.
April 21, 2014
Praise for RITA-nominated Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish:
"An extraordinary, precious, unforgettable holiday story."—RT Book Reviews, 4½ stars, Top Pick of the Month, Best Historical Romance, RT Book Reviews 2011 Reviewers' Choice Awards
'Tis the Season for Scandal...
Years ago Lady Louisa Windham acted rashly on a dare from her brother, and that indiscretion is about to come to light. She knows her reputation will never survive exposure. Just as she's nearly overwhelmed by her dilemma, Sir Joseph Carrington offers himself to her as a solution...
But Sir Joseph has secrets as well, and as he and Louisa become entangled with each other, their deceptions begin to close in on them both...
More praise for Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish:
"My Christmas wish for you is that Santa brings you this book...a joyful sensual read."—USA Today Happy Ever After
"Supremely sexy, emotionally involving, and graced with well-written dialogue...a fascinating, enjoyable read."—Library Journal
"Burrowes continues to write outside the usual Regency box with strong characters and humor similar to Amanda Quick's."—Booklist
Review"Delightfully charming and lovable characters... Burrowes crafts yet another winning romance. 4 Stars" - RT Book Reviews
"Humor, strong female characters, and fresh situations are hallmarks of this award-winning author... Fans of Amanda Quick and Loretta Chase will enjoy Burrowes." - Booklist
" I just can't impress enough upon you how much this book brought joy to my reading eyes and longing mind." - Yankee Romance Reviewers
"I was thrilled by this beautiful story that culminates with a heartwarming Christmas celebration. Reviewer Top Pick " - Night Owl Reviews
"It was a joy to watch them fall in love, and to see them continue to believe in each other, even in the face of some daunting circumstances. " - Romantic Historical Lovers
"I am impressed by the beautiful mixture of romance, poetry, humor and practicality portrayed in this book. " - The Reading Addict
About the AuthorNew York Times and USA Today bestselling author Grace Burrowes hit the bestseller lists with her debut, The Heir, followed by The Soldier and Lady Maggie's Secret Scandal. The Heir was also named a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2010, The Soldier was named a Publishers Weekly Best Spring Romance of 2011, and Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish was named Best Historical Romance of the Year in 2011 by RT Reviewers' Choice Awards. All of her Regency romances have received extensive praise, including starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist. Grace is branching out into short stories and Scotland-set Victorian romance with Sourcebooks. She is a practicing family law attorney and lives in rural Maryland.
December 11, 2012
It’s no secret to any of you how much I love reading Grace Burrows’ novels. She infuses her love stories with so much heart that once I’m done with the story, I’m already missing the characters. It’s no different with this story. Last Christmas we saw Lady Sophie get her Christmas wish, and this Christmas Lady Louisa gets her Knight.
Sir Joseph Carrington is a retired soldier, a farmer and quotes poetry. He is one of the best Beta heroes around! I loved his mild manner and thoughtfulness. As much as he liked and was attractive to Louisa, he would have never presumed that she would like him back, and especially because of the difference in their stations.
As a favor to her brothers, he takes their place as her protector and that’s where all the trouble starts.
I don’t know about you, but I love when the story ‘breathes’…Like the bottle of a very old wine…you open it, let it breathe…inhale it, and just the aroma gets you intoxicated.
That’s exactly how I felt reading this romance. This is a tender, mature love story of two smart, witty and very normal people and that in itself was so refreshing. The secondary characters were interesting as well, but having their Graces and their children around was such a treat.
There’s a bit of comedy and plenty of romance as our hero quotes his poetry, so get that cup of hot chocolate and spend a day with Lady Louisa and her Knight!
Sir Joseph Carrington is a retired soldier, a farmer and quotes poetry. He is one of the best Beta heroes around! I loved his mild manner and thoughtfulness. As much as he liked and was attractive to Louisa, he would have never presumed that she would like him back, and especially because of the difference in their stations.
As a favor to her brothers, he takes their place as her protector and that’s where all the trouble starts.
I don’t know about you, but I love when the story ‘breathes’…Like the bottle of a very old wine…you open it, let it breathe…inhale it, and just the aroma gets you intoxicated.
That’s exactly how I felt reading this romance. This is a tender, mature love story of two smart, witty and very normal people and that in itself was so refreshing. The secondary characters were interesting as well, but having their Graces and their children around was such a treat.
There’s a bit of comedy and plenty of romance as our hero quotes his poetry, so get that cup of hot chocolate and spend a day with Lady Louisa and her Knight!
January 23, 2013
This was different and really charming.
I do wish Lady Louisa's secret had been explained earlier in the book, since it's pretty significant to the plot (it's referred to as if we should already know what it is-- great if you've read the rest of the series and DO already know, but not so good for newcomers like me-- and I would argue that a Christmas title will draw a lot of newcomers).
Lady Louisa is a great heroine-- brilliant and independent, but also willing to rely on her family, and vulnerable despite her formidable strength of character. I *adored* Sir Joseph and his girls. Both the truth of his secret and the true villain caught me by surprise-- I thought I'd gotten it all figured out, but I was off by a bit. The two really were perfect for each other-- I loved that the hero and heroine could both be surrounded by (and know they are loved by) family, and still feel so lonely.
The supporting cast really puts the cherry on this book-- the Duke and Duchess, the Prince Regent and his crony, even the Duke of Wellington and the well-meaning bookseller.
I do wish Lady Louisa's secret had been explained earlier in the book, since it's pretty significant to the plot (it's referred to as if we should already know what it is-- great if you've read the rest of the series and DO already know, but not so good for newcomers like me-- and I would argue that a Christmas title will draw a lot of newcomers).
Lady Louisa is a great heroine-- brilliant and independent, but also willing to rely on her family, and vulnerable despite her formidable strength of character. I *adored* Sir Joseph and his girls. Both the truth of his secret and the true villain caught me by surprise-- I thought I'd gotten it all figured out, but I was off by a bit. The two really were perfect for each other-- I loved that the hero and heroine could both be surrounded by (and know they are loved by) family, and still feel so lonely.
The supporting cast really puts the cherry on this book-- the Duke and Duchess, the Prince Regent and his crony, even the Duke of Wellington and the well-meaning bookseller.
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