The Merry Mishap of Alfred and Clara

Men, Mistletoe, and Marriage #3

by Amanda Panhorst

Alfred Deane’s own hard work has always been engulfed by the charity he has received in his scholarship to Eton, his appointment as secretary to a wealthy earl, both opportunities put in his by those better off than he. All the more reason to prove himself by working twice as hard as those around him. But his determination to prove himself keeps him from one of the most important things he wishes a loving wife and family of his own. He has no time to fall in love and court in person. His solution?

Advertise.

Courtship through letters is the perfect way to discover if he and the lady in question are of one heart and mind on the things that matter most. And when a likely candidate draws him in more and more with her wit and happy nature, it helps him endure the days dealing with a particular thorn in his side.



At twenty-six, Clara Winters is lively, vivacious, unmarried, but most of all, determined. She will not be a burden to her family. Instead, SHE will help THEM through her own hard work and industry. When the opportunity comes to be employed by an influential countess, nothing can stop her, not even the stiff, disapproving secretary, Mr. Alfred Deane, standing between her and the job. Though once the position is secured, she and Mr. Deane (who is everything at once disagreeable and unlikeable!) must work together to prepare for the countess’s favorite festive Christmas.

With Mr. Deane against her at the outset, going out of his way to make her life more difficult, Clara finds happiness and hope in her letters to and from an anonymous man to whose advertisement she had the audacity to reply. Each letter from him solidifies her belief that the perfect match for her just might exist. Matrimony if suited. Could her wish to find a loving husband and home finally come true this Christmas?

Genres: Romance, Christmas, Historical

217 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2024

About the author

Amanda writes clean regency and contemporary romance. She was raised along the Wasatch Front on a hearty diet of Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen novels. She firmly believes that the Three Rs: Reading, Riding and wRiting are a great recipe for happiness. Other ingredients include her family of three boys, a fantastic husband, and their pets, Ginny and Darcy, and Flint.

Reviews

[Melissa (christianbooksandcoffee) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was such a delight! I loved it so much! It is a regency retelling of The Shop Around the Corner movie. I loved Alfred and Clara so much! The banter between them was great and they are not shy to throw insults at each other. I loved the enemies to lovers trope. So many humorous moments. Also great romance. This was my first read by this author and I loved her writing style! Overall, this was a wonderful story and I definitely recommend!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

[Ru4repeat · Rating 5 out of 5]

"...a wonderful way to ensure peace between two parties..."

"I have also found that food is a wonderful way to ensure peace between two parties. A full mouth opens the ears, and a full stomach replenishes one’s patience…"

This was a sweet take on the classic "Shop Around The Corner," "In The Good Old Summertime," "You've Got Mail" storyline.
Great character development and arcs from rivals to friends and more. Excellent twists and turns!

[Regency_Fan_ Michelle RegencyFanMichelleAndMore · Rating 5 out of 5]

This delightful Christmas retelling truly captivated me! I especially adored the enchanting setting of the Regency era, which added a charming layer to the story.

[Korbie Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is like a better version of You’ve Got Mail! I love that Panhorst took inspiration from You’ve Got Mail while also creating a new and unique story.

The regency setting absolutely makes this love story. I love that the premise is two characters exchanging letters, with the idea of “matrimony if suited” always there. Because it wasn’t quite the thing for unmarried men and women to exchange letters, it makes complete sense that they both opt to remain anonymous at the start of their correspondence. It helps both maintain respectability while also allowing them to get to know one another. The dual perspective for the book and the inclusion of some of their letters is stylistically the perfect choice for the novel.

The enemies to lovers vibe is done so well with Clara and Alfred. I felt plenty of secondhand embarrassment for both at varying points of the story, and saw exactly how each managed to be a thorn in the other’s side, with the determination and pride each of them possesses.

While this was my first Amanda Panhorst book, it certainly won’t be my last! Thank you to the author for the ARC copy. All opinions are my own.

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful, witty novel with its perfect nod to the Shop Around the Corner, (or You’ve Got Mail, if it suits you more). Two lonely people, ready to love and be loved, start an incognito correspondence which creates all that is wonderful. However, unbeknownst to them, they already see each other everyday, and that is something neither desires to dwell on. So obviously, the question is whether these enemies could find it in themselves to reconcile what they know and what they wish and allow love to bind them, or they simply pretend the wonderful persons they’ve grown to love through the letters didn’t exist.

Written with humor one comes to expect from Mrs. Panhorst, a well-developed plot and delightful characters keep this whimsical novel very entertaining. All the little “Easter eggs” from the old classic movie are so fun to catch. And the appearance of other characters from this multi-author series gives it a good continuity for the story of the four friends.

I was given a privilege to read an advanced copy which I thoroughly enjoyed, hence the very positive review.

[Elizabeth S · Rating 4 out of 5]

You've Got Mail, Regency style. an enemies-to-lovers tale about an earl's secretary and the countess's lady secretary. Clara responded to an ad that Alfred placed in a newspaper, in which he sought correspondence with a lady, with a possible eye to marriage. Little did they know that they were employed in the same household and could never see eye to eye. The main characters are not especially likable, constantly at odds, and quick to say hurtful things to each other. Their arguments are childish enough to be embarrassing, especially the one about the chess set. When they finally got together, it didn't feel satisfying.

It's a cute plot, but I was hoping for more humor and warmth. 3.5 stars

[Mary A. Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rerun for

This is almost enough like A movie Albeit an old movie, "the shop around the corner ", A movie From the late 1,930s or early 1,940s , That is set in Hungary Before world war 1. The leading man's name in the movie was Alfred and the girl was Clara The leading man Was James Stewart When he was very young. I watched it recently on TV1 of the later remakes Starred tom hanks And The blonde with the shaggy haircut However I don't believe his name was Alfred nor her s Clara. The boss even attempted to take his life With a gun! I never Read that original Book or play, But I would almost call it plagiarism.

[Dev G · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet regency retelling of The Shop Around the Corner.

This is my first book by Amanda and I enjoyed her storytelling style.

I loved the enemies to lovers aspect of this story. It was well done and I found myself laughing at the stubbornness of Alfred and Clara. Clara was not one to be pushed around and Alfred was not one to back down.

Watching Alfred go from strait-laced and serious to besotted was my favorite. He had some serious humor hiding underneath. I loved when he was teasing Clara about her pen pal.

Enjoyable and sweet.

Thank you to Amanda Panhorst for the copy. All opinions are my own.

[Michele Benchouk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a lovely story about one couple meeting in TWO unusual ways. The characters go through a variety of challenges for which there are no easy answers and express real emotions including embarrassment, confusion, shame, and the euphoria of new love. This book felt authentic, even if the circumstances were odd. The nature of their "game" makes the unlikely meeting believable -- it is just what one imagines could happen with an unidentified pen pal living in the same city. Highly recommended reading.

[Luci Jamison · Rating 5 out of 5]

clean romance

What a fun Christmas story of mischief and romance.
The author does a fantastic job of creating delightful characters with larger than life personalities.
She does a creative way of twisting the plot and turning it into something special.
There are life challenges touched upon but the love and support offered helps carry the load.
I have enjoyed the series and this book and look forward to reading the next one!

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love the others better

I have always loved “Shop Around the Corner” with Jimmy Stewart and Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan were great in the update, “You’ve Got Mail”. This is a pale shadow that combines both movies into a less than stellar rewrite. I kept hoping for something new or a twist but this is essentially the same right down to the dialogue. Watch the movies, both are worth your time, and skip the book. Not something I say very often.

[Kaitlin M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alfred and Clara’s antics were ridiculously hilarious! I really enjoyed the nods to the classic movie while being set in the regency time period. It was nice to see their relationship change as they finally got to know each other in person and realize that they BOTH had been unfair in the beginning.

Thank you to the author for including me on her ARC team, all opinions are my own.

[Max Paredes · Rating 5 out of 5]

You've got mail Regency style...delightful

A fresh take on you've got mail. I was a little skeptical at first but it was delightful. Had me grinning and laughing. The imagery was very clever. Would highly recommend it

[Tanvi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. It was a true enemies to lovers which was well written with good banter. Though I wish the shift from enemies to friends to lovers was more gradual, and the ending was not so rushed, it was still a delightful read.

[Billy Bateman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good story

I really enjoyed this story. The new lady in my life and I corresponded for 5 months before we met face to face. This story has incidents that
accompany a romantic unfolding. I recommend this story.

[kelly lelia camejo martinez · Rating 5 out of 5]

A different regency romance.

Witty, tender, focusing on "servants" instead of dukes. Highly entertaining. It has been time since a regency novel surprised me so nicely.

[Jannie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Regency era version of "You've Got Mail." SO cute!

[LG · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF :( couldn't get past the first chapter!

[Michelle Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Wasn’t period appropriate

I enjoyed the story itself but it was so anachronistic for the period that it strained credulity. If the author had set it in the early 1900s it would probably have worked better. I do like this author a lot and especially appreciate her fresh takes and not falling into cliche plot devises and choices. It’s usually very refreshing.

[Tayo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Uh, there may be some spoilers but mostly stay away as this is just a small rant in disguise as a review.

I'm really glad I've since read other books that have been up my alley since sitting down to write this, since it took a lot of the sting out of what I found to be an unenjoyable read.

Off the top I really wish that within the blurb for this story it was made clear that this was a retelling. I've re-read the blurb over and over and nothing jumps out to me that it's a retelling. Maybe that's on me, since I'm more familiar with You've Got Mail than the more original The Shop Around the Corner, but nothing in the synopsis hinted at this. I don't mind retellings as a rule, but it does draw comparisons and for me, if it's a beloved story (whether in book form or another medium) it has to match or surpass that original story for me, otherwise it tends to feel like a waste of time, since I'm a person that actually enjoys re-reading/re-watching things. So the long story short of this review is that this is actually a retelling, but it lacked the charm of You've Got Mail and added nothing new or different to make it compelling on its own (to me), hence the 2 stars.

Some more stray details are..

I can do characters that don't get along. In fact some of my favourite stories feature this trope. But I always say, while the characters may not like each other they should be likeable in some form to me, otherwise put them on a growth arc. A lot of the fault in this one lies with Alfred who immediately puts Clara on the back foot with his own prejudices. His pride (and I suppose hers as well) don't allow them to redefine their dynamic and they are therefore these reluctant co-workers who bicker about everything. But their interactions didn't have that ineffable tension that kept me engaged, it wasn't funny to at least make me laugh, and it lacked charmed. So I was reading about two people arguing incessantly about nothing.

I think what added (or subtracted) from all of this is the true lack of character development. I never felt like I got a sense of either Clara or Alfred. We get some stray pieces of back story but nothing to anchor either character. So while the story is plodding along, I never felt any real attachment to Alfred or Clara, let alone to speak of any sort of romance between them.

Then there was this whole lingering plot of Alfred's employer acting harshly towards him, and even thought it was resolved and all, I never found it in me to care a bit about it.

Anyway, just my thoughts that unfortunately this one didn't work for me.