An Heiress for Christmas

by Samantha SoRelle

When Lord Anthony Norwood is told by his father to find a wealthy fiancée by Christmas or risk being disinherited, Anthony does what he always does when faced with an important problem; he asks his butler, Henry, to handle it.

Which would work out perfectly if the loyal Henry hadn't been secretly in love with Anthony for years...

With the first snowflakes beginning to fall, Henry is running out of time to decide which is worse, seeing the man he loves destitute on the streets of Victorian Era London or watching Anthony get his happily ever after with someone else while Henry is left out in the cold.

Genres: Historical, Romance, Holiday, M M Romance, LGBT, Queer, Historical Romance

41 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 12, 2023

Reviews

[~Nicole~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

No doubt December was the short stories’ month-I think I broke the record this December. And it’s not even by choice but because I barely found any good full-length novels this month. Anyways, this was a beautiful short historical novella and I loved it so so much-quite surprised by the writing and charmed by the endearing characters . Lovely read !

[Melanie THEE Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though Lord Anthony is the son of a marquess and Henry is the son of a merchant, they become fast friends when they meet at school. When Henry’s father squanders their fortune and dies, he is forced to look for employment and Anthony offers him a position as his butler. At the start of the book, Henry has been Anthony’s butler for a while and they have fallen into a nice routine despite Henry’s feelings for him.

Until…out of the blue Anthony announces that his father has threatened to cut him off unless he finds a wife by Christmas. Anthony asks Henry for help in this endeavor and even though it breaks his heart, Henry agrees. In the process, he discovers that his unrequited feelings are very much requited 🥰

This was adorable and I needed it be longer, like at least 100 pages. And the one love scene being fade to black pissed me off. This novella was 41 pages, ain’t nobody got time for that!

[Sheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

New-to-me author.
Snippet of a story.
Sweet but very superficial.
The bulter, Henry, has been in love with Lord Anthony for years.
And it looks like his greatest dreams are about to come true.

It was free and gave me a chance to try SoRelle but didn't knock my socks off or have me racing to check out her other books.

*2.5 meh stars*

[Ami · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was free (during the time I wrote this after I read it, of course) on Amazon and the title intrigued me (this is an M/M romance by the way). Plus, it was a short one, so I figured it was a perfect one to try this new-to-me author. AND it involved a lord and his butler!

Well, it was a lovely one! This story was written from Henry's (the butler) perspective only. We got to read his thoughts, to understand his feelings, as he navigated his employer's request.

Henry has been in love with Lord Anthony for years - they were also best friends during their university years before Henry's fall from grace (NOT his fault but his father) from the merchant's son to a butler. So when Anthony told Henry that he needed to find a wife, Henry's heart broke.

I adored these two for sure. AND I believe in the solution for their problem. I wish Henry and his Anthony best of everything!!

[S.S. Genesee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautiful short story! I love how this author can make such lovable and compelling characters in such few pages. The angst too has my heart! I absolutely loved this 💕💖

[Wayward Skyril · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful, touching, charming, beautifully written short from Samantha SoRelle. It's easily readable in one sitting, as I have just done, and it satisfied everything I wanted from a sweet, brief, M/M regency romance.
The writing is wonderful, the characters are surprisingly well-developed, the era is accurate, and the romance is sugary and breath-taking. Love, love, love.

[annob [on hiatus]]

Dnf @ 11%
I couldn't disregard the made up back-story were a butler has attended Cambridge side by side with the son of a nobleman. And then for some reason, not use his costly education but end up as a servant? And as a butler, highest in the hierarchy of servants, delivering a breakfast plate to his master? Beneath the role of a butler, surely.

As the historical world building didn't sit right with me, I had to make an early dnf.

[Jax · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not Christmassy in the slightest so I wouldn’t read it on that account. It’s just the time of year it takes place. And I’m not sure how accurate it is that a man who hasn't risen through the ranks of household positions could take on the role of butler, though I’ll allow that his "employer" is unconventional. This was not bad, just too rushed, too short. I needed more pages for the story to develop enough to really satisfy. Three stars because no harm, no foul.

[NiaLu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dios ❤️ ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Necesitaba leer algo así de tierno 😭❤️‍🩹
Tuve miedo solo por saber de qué trataba, pero el final me dejó el corazón muy llenito...

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an endearing Victorian era short story set around Christmastime. Lord Anthony and his butler, Henry, were friends, attracted to each other, during their school years. Now, some years later, Henry's father squandered his family's wealth, reducing Henry to become a servant for his former friend. Henry has never lost his feelings for his friend, but does not dare cross the line now. Anthony also does not want to take advantage of his position as the employer and one of a higher social station.

Anthony is an accomplished artist, but also a little scattered. Henry helps him keep his life organized. When Anthony's father issues an ultimatum that Anthony must be engaged to a woman with a suitable dowry by Christmas, Anthony feels lost and enlists the assistance of Henry to help him find a suitable fiancee. It's a heartbreaking task, but Henry's loyalty to his friend makes him agree.

Now the time is ticking closer to Christmas. Can these two men find a way to escape the edict or will they find a way to be together romantically? This sweet story is of two men who pine for and respect each other, revealing their true love for each other.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute little romance about a Butler in the Victorian era in love with his lord/employer.

Our main character, Henry, used to be the wealthy son of a merchant and close friends with a man named Anthony, with whom he went to school. When he hits on hard times due to his father's debts, he talks Anthony into making him his butler. This causes damage to their friendship and makes any relationship between the two fraught with tension. It doesn't help that Henry has been harboring romantic feelings for Anthony for almost as long as he's known him.

Now, Anthony's father has told him to find a wife or risk being cut off. Anthony has been spending too much without doing anything to increase their family's wealth. He spends most of his days in his studio working on his art and forgetting everything else. Henry is tasked with finding Anthony someone by the deadline without letting his own feelings slip.

This was cute and short enough that it didn't drag. I also appreciated the happy ending. Not all love stories like this have a satisfactory conclusion. The characters were also extremely likable. Anthony's personality was very relatable. He had a whole vibe going all by himself.

[Barb ~rede-2-read~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

So sweet! And not at all what I thought from the tittle. This is MM unrequited love in a historical setting. Friends to lovers. Butler Henry to partner of Lord Anthony who must find an heiress before Christmas or lose his father's funding. Lo and behold, the two men discover more than an heiress for Anthony and come up with a creative and satisfying solution once they realize each has loved the other for years. Definitely worth a few hours of everyone's time to read this tidbit of holiday romance.

[Rosemarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very sweet and short friends to lovers romance mixed with a master-servant dynamic. I really liked both Anthony and Henry. I would say my only compliant is that I wish it had been a bit longer. I wanted more of the pining, and the angst over Anthony having to possibly marry a woman. I would also have liked to see their struggles to create a life for themselves outside of Anthony's father's control. Overall, I liked these two so much I would have loved a longer more developed story, although I did enjoy the story for what it was.

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very touching but very short, Lord Anthony has been given an ultimatum by his father, to get himself a wife by Christmas or be cut off. Henry, is longtime friend and now butler, of sorts, is just as horrified.I find Henry to be an absolute sweetheart while Lord Anthony is a teensy bit naive and blase. A lovely read.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A butler who has been in love with his lord for ages and a lord who has been in love with his butler for ages.
The crunch comes when Anthony is commanded by his father to marry by christmas or be cut off.
Henry helps by drawing up a lost of suitable ladies for Antony's consideration.
Luckily, the two realize they are meant to be.

[Kassu · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐

Very lovely, piny historical romance short. Definitely bumped up the author's His Lordship's Secret on my TBR.

[SJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice short story set in Victorian England where no one in society had much freedom to do anything. An MC is being forced to marry, but has long had deep feelings for his college chum turned man servant. They use their wits to figure out a solution. This is a vanilla story, the sex is off page.

[Snuffles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sweet short story that feels a lot longer than it is (in a good way!).

Great way to spend some time before Christmas Eve and also complete the Goodreads challenge this year.

(You can read this for free on the author's website.)

[Bibliophilic Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 2.5 / 5

The story was fine but the writing style didn't mesh with me. I felt the story meandering because of the writing style and the romance wasn't as concrete as I would like. Ultimately, forgettable.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and sweet. I enjoyed the characters although definitely some suspension of disbelief is required to believe that someone formerly wealthy would go into service and immediately become a butler.

[Suze · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short but well written Christmas based story.
A gentleman has to have a wife, but Anthony would rather paint, and have Henry.
Friends whose circumstances change their relationship from friends to master/servant, but who work their way to a satisfactory solution to the problem.

[Regina Long · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and sweet. This novella is like a cup of warm tea—comforting. It would have been nice, though, to see an epilogue where Anthony and Henry have succeeded with breaking away from Anthony’s father and made their way financially.

[Christopher K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️‼️

Enjoyed it SO much that I preordered the first of the new series and purchased the rest of the other series that I owned part, but not all of and had yet to 📖… 💃💃💃‼️

[Jenn (not Lily) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh the pining! So perfect!

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I knew this was short and I think it tells a complete story--it's not a short story that needed to be more--but I've just already largely forgotten it. That might be more on me than the book.

[Patdbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely short period, mm romance read. Just the thing for my festive reading spree

[Kindle Addict · Rating 3 out of 5]

So cute and great for a cozy read. I wish there had been some sex scenes but it was still adorable :)

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, sweet, and a tiny bit angsty. Henry and Anthony are so cute. Also, this isn't as Christmas-y as the title suggests, which I actually preferred.

[CdnBookLover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clever gentlemen; too bad they didn’t have that brainstorm much earlier. :)

[Dale Hankins · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice short story to read before bed.