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The Captain's Christmas Journey
A festive Regency romance from award-winning author Carla Kelly.
Captain Everard is escorting Verity to her governess job—and for propriety’s sake that means a convenient engagement!
Captain Everard is escorting Verity to her governess job—and for propriety’s sake that means a convenient engagement!
- GenresHistoricalRomance
Audible Audio
Published September 30, 2025
About the author
Carla Kelly
141 books810 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Although Carla Kelly is well known among her readers as a writer of Regency romance, her main interest (and first writing success) is Western American fiction—more specifically, writing about America's Indian Wars. Although she had sold some of her work before, it was not until Carla began work in the National Park Service as a ranger/historian at Fort Laramie National Historic Site did she get serious about her writing career. (Or as she would be the first to admit, as serious as it gets.)
Carla wrote a series of what she now refers to as the "Fort Laramie stories," which are tales of the men, women and children of the Indian Wars era in Western history. Two of her stories, A Season for Heroes and Kathleen Flaherty's Long Winter, earned her Spur Awards from the Western Writers of America. She was the second woman to earn two Spurs from WWA (which, as everyone knows, is all you need to ride a horse). Her entire Indian Wars collection was published in 2003 as Here's to the Ladies: Stories of the Frontier Army. It remains her favorite work.
The mother of five children, Carla has always allowed her kids to earn their keep by appearing in her Regencies, most notably Marian's Christmas Wish, which is peopled by all kinds of relatives. Grown now, the Kelly kids are scattered here and there across the U.S. They continue to provide feedback, furnish fodder for stories and make frantic phone calls home during the holidays for recipes. (Carla Kelly is some cook.)
Carla's husband, Martin, is Director of Theatre at Valley City State University, in Valley City, North Dakota. Carla is currently overworked as a staff writer at the local daily newspaper. She also writes a weekly, award-winning column, "Prairie Lite."
Carla only started writing Regencies because of her interest in the Napoleonic Wars, which figures in many of her Regency novels and short stories. She specializes in writing about warfare at sea, and about the ordinary people of the British Isles who were, let's face it, far more numerous than lords and ladies.
Hobbies? She likes to crochet afghans, and read British crime fiction and history, principally military history. She's never happier than talking about the fur trade or Indian Wars with Park Service cronies. Her most recent gig with the National Park Service was at Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site on the Montana/North Dakota border.
Here's another side to this somewhat prosaic woman: She recently edited the fur trade journal of Swiss artist Rudolf F. Kurz (the 1851-1852 portion), and is gratified now and then to be asked to speak on scholarly subjects. She has also worked for the State Historical Society of North Dakota as a contract researcher. This has taken her to glamorous drudgery in several national archives and military history repositories. Gray archives boxes and old documents make her salivate.
Her mantra for writing comes from the subject of her thesis, Robert Utley, that dean of Indian Wars history. He told her the secret to writing is "to put your ass in the chair and keep it there until you're done." He's right, of course.
Her three favorite fictional works have remained constant through the years, although their rankings tend to shift: War and Peace, The Lawrenceville Stories, and A Town Like Alice. Favorite historical works are One Vast Winter Count, On the Border with Mackenzie and Crossing the Line. Favorite crime fiction authors are Michael Connelly, John Harvey and Peter Robinson.
And that's all she can think of that would interest anyone. Carla Kelly is quite ordinary, except when she is sometimes prevailed upon to sing a scurrilous song about lumberjacks, or warble "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" in Latin. Then you m
Although Carla Kelly is well known among her readers as a writer of Regency romance, her main interest (and first writing success) is Western American fiction—more specifically, writing about America's Indian Wars. Although she had sold some of her work before, it was not until Carla began work in the National Park Service as a ranger/historian at Fort Laramie National Historic Site did she get serious about her writing career. (Or as she would be the first to admit, as serious as it gets.)
Carla wrote a series of what she now refers to as the "Fort Laramie stories," which are tales of the men, women and children of the Indian Wars era in Western history. Two of her stories, A Season for Heroes and Kathleen Flaherty's Long Winter, earned her Spur Awards from the Western Writers of America. She was the second woman to earn two Spurs from WWA (which, as everyone knows, is all you need to ride a horse). Her entire Indian Wars collection was published in 2003 as Here's to the Ladies: Stories of the Frontier Army. It remains her favorite work.
The mother of five children, Carla has always allowed her kids to earn their keep by appearing in her Regencies, most notably Marian's Christmas Wish, which is peopled by all kinds of relatives. Grown now, the Kelly kids are scattered here and there across the U.S. They continue to provide feedback, furnish fodder for stories and make frantic phone calls home during the holidays for recipes. (Carla Kelly is some cook.)
Carla's husband, Martin, is Director of Theatre at Valley City State University, in Valley City, North Dakota. Carla is currently overworked as a staff writer at the local daily newspaper. She also writes a weekly, award-winning column, "Prairie Lite."
Carla only started writing Regencies because of her interest in the Napoleonic Wars, which figures in many of her Regency novels and short stories. She specializes in writing about warfare at sea, and about the ordinary people of the British Isles who were, let's face it, far more numerous than lords and ladies.
Hobbies? She likes to crochet afghans, and read British crime fiction and history, principally military history. She's never happier than talking about the fur trade or Indian Wars with Park Service cronies. Her most recent gig with the National Park Service was at Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site on the Montana/North Dakota border.
Here's another side to this somewhat prosaic woman: She recently edited the fur trade journal of Swiss artist Rudolf F. Kurz (the 1851-1852 portion), and is gratified now and then to be asked to speak on scholarly subjects. She has also worked for the State Historical Society of North Dakota as a contract researcher. This has taken her to glamorous drudgery in several national archives and military history repositories. Gray archives boxes and old documents make her salivate.
Her mantra for writing comes from the subject of her thesis, Robert Utley, that dean of Indian Wars history. He told her the secret to writing is "to put your ass in the chair and keep it there until you're done." He's right, of course.
Her three favorite fictional works have remained constant through the years, although their rankings tend to shift: War and Peace, The Lawrenceville Stories, and A Town Like Alice. Favorite historical works are One Vast Winter Count, On the Border with Mackenzie and Crossing the Line. Favorite crime fiction authors are Michael Connelly, John Harvey and Peter Robinson.
And that's all she can think of that would interest anyone. Carla Kelly is quite ordinary, except when she is sometimes prevailed upon to sing a scurrilous song about lumberjacks, or warble "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" in Latin. Then you m
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 18, 2025
1805. Captain Joseph Everard has the difficult obligation of informing the families of the deaths of his crew from the Battle of Trafalgar. One of the fallen is Verity Newsome's brother David. When Joe shows up to return David's effects, he's struck by spinster Verity's strength, and he agrees to escort her to her new teaching post, posing as her fiancé to prevent scandal.
Of the three Christmas novellas from Carla Kelly with new audio releases, this may be my favorite. Joe may be a ship's captain, but he also understands a need for lightness, joy, and laughter. Verity is practical, and truly loves teaching, but worries about a need for companionship as she's turning 30. She feels at ease with Joe, but doesn't think she is fit for the prestigious captain, and Joe is smitten but doesn't want to interfere with her drive. Luckily, this is a Christmas novella and it stays low angst.
Thank you to Harlequin for an ALC. This is a new audiobook out 9/30/25 of a novella originally published in 2018.
Of the three Christmas novellas from Carla Kelly with new audio releases, this may be my favorite. Joe may be a ship's captain, but he also understands a need for lightness, joy, and laughter. Verity is practical, and truly loves teaching, but worries about a need for companionship as she's turning 30. She feels at ease with Joe, but doesn't think she is fit for the prestigious captain, and Joe is smitten but doesn't want to interfere with her drive. Luckily, this is a Christmas novella and it stays low angst.
Thank you to Harlequin for an ALC. This is a new audiobook out 9/30/25 of a novella originally published in 2018.
October 3, 2025
In the aftermath of the Battle of Trafalgar, Captain Everard has the sad duty of delivering the personal effects of one of his men to his family. A family that includes a spinster sister who needs an escort to her new teaching post. It's one last duty to his fallen man...but will it be more than that?
I found this to be a fast paced, sometimes humorous, and heartwarming novella. The Christmas aspect is pretty minimal, but it is there and adds to the vibes. As a companion to the author's previous book, which dives into Naval involvement in the Napoleonic war, this gives that era a more personal perspective of how it impacted the family and people in England.
The narrator was excellent and I highly recommend her.
Tropes:
Fake engagement/marriage
Forced proximity
There's only one bed
Age gap romance (10+ years)
"Later in life" romance (I mean, this is 1805 so...)
Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for the review copy.
I found this to be a fast paced, sometimes humorous, and heartwarming novella. The Christmas aspect is pretty minimal, but it is there and adds to the vibes. As a companion to the author's previous book, which dives into Naval involvement in the Napoleonic war, this gives that era a more personal perspective of how it impacted the family and people in England.
The narrator was excellent and I highly recommend her.
Tropes:
Fake engagement/marriage
Forced proximity
There's only one bed
Age gap romance (10+ years)
"Later in life" romance (I mean, this is 1805 so...)
Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for the review copy.
September 27, 2025
After paying a condolence call to Verity’s family, Captain Everard escorts her to her governess job, posing as her fiancé.
What a sweet, heartwarming romance! Everand and Verity are a perfect match. The characters are well-drawn while the plot is emotional and well-paced. This is a fun, fast read, great as a pick-me-up during your lunch hour or to help unwind at the end of the day. I enjoyed the audiobook narration.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
What a sweet, heartwarming romance! Everand and Verity are a perfect match. The characters are well-drawn while the plot is emotional and well-paced. This is a fun, fast read, great as a pick-me-up during your lunch hour or to help unwind at the end of the day. I enjoyed the audiobook narration.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
September 19, 2025
Another Regency Christmas novella from Carla Kelly. Tying in the Royal navy and a woman in need,
Captain Everard is escorting Verity to her governess job—and for propriety’s sake that means a convenient engagement!
Captain Everard is escorting Verity to her governess job—and for propriety’s sake that means a convenient engagement!
December 21, 2025
Cute holiday novella. I like the MMC sense of humor. A soldier escorts his deceased friend spinster sister to a governess job for a sense of propriety. Not very christmassy if you’re looking for more of a winter read.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews