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A Kiss for Hope
No room at the inn...
Joshua Penrose has come home from years abroad a sadder, wiser man. He doggedly makes his way to his former abode through a roaring Yuletide snowstorm only to find the house occupied by a lady who claims she owns the place. Joshua is nearly certain she doesn’t, and he’s equally convinced that he cannot spend one more minute battling the elements.
…and none at home either!!!
Hope Burdette has been widowed long enough to have seen every confidence trick and swindle aimed at unsuspecting women. She nevertheless did not expect to have the very ownership of her home challenged, much less by such a grouchy, taciturn, un-charming man. Joshua’s lack of guile suggests that he truly does believe the house to be his, and Hope is too soft-hearted to deny him temporary shelter.
Somebody is lying, and somebody will end up without a home, but first, Joshua and hope agree to a holiday truce. When the new year arrives, will they be sworn foes or a match made under the mistletoe?
Joshua Penrose has come home from years abroad a sadder, wiser man. He doggedly makes his way to his former abode through a roaring Yuletide snowstorm only to find the house occupied by a lady who claims she owns the place. Joshua is nearly certain she doesn’t, and he’s equally convinced that he cannot spend one more minute battling the elements.
…and none at home either!!!
Hope Burdette has been widowed long enough to have seen every confidence trick and swindle aimed at unsuspecting women. She nevertheless did not expect to have the very ownership of her home challenged, much less by such a grouchy, taciturn, un-charming man. Joshua’s lack of guile suggests that he truly does believe the house to be his, and Hope is too soft-hearted to deny him temporary shelter.
Somebody is lying, and somebody will end up without a home, but first, Joshua and hope agree to a holiday truce. When the new year arrives, will they be sworn foes or a match made under the mistletoe?
176 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 14, 2025
83 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
About the author
Grace Burrowes
192 books2,913 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 - 22 of 22 reviews
November 26, 2025
A pleasant Christmas novella that hit all the poignant notes: a widow and widower, both still trying to find their footing after losing imperfect but beloved spouses, a whimsical child of undetermined age (she talked like she was maybe four but somehow managed to reach to the top of the mantel), a lazy cat, a snowstorm, room at the metaphorical inn but very little food, a group of homeless street urchins in desperate need of warmth and care, and a nasty villain who gets less than he deserved.
No sparkle but plenty of warmth and I liked that all the berries were missing from the mistletoe in Quinn and Jane’s house. Good to know those two are still at it.
No sparkle but plenty of warmth and I liked that all the berries were missing from the mistletoe in Quinn and Jane’s house. Good to know those two are still at it.
November 16, 2025
This is a wonderful tale for the Christmas season: a poor widow and her daughter, scrapping by, yet trying to help street urchins who have nothing. One blustery winter’s night comes Joshua Penrose, fresh off the ship from America, to her door demanding entrance. What to do? How does the widow respond to Joshua’s plight? What does Joshua do when he discovers his house has been overtaken by this widow and her daughter during his absence? A heart warming tale in which justice comes to the greedy stealing from widows, and happiness comes to a man whose heart was buried alongside his wife in America.
November 19, 2025
An enjoyable Christmas novella. At 176 pages it's a little long for a novella, but shorter than a full-length novel. Quite a satisfying length, actually, as the characters are developed well, which doesn't always happen in novellas. They do fall in love somewhat quickly, but it wasn't ridiculous or unbelievable.
The book is part of Burrowes' Rogues to Riches series, but can easily stand alone. The MMC, Joshua, did appear in one of the earlier books, but here he gets his own story. Quin and Jane make a couple of appearances, but even though it's a while since I read their book, it wasn't an issue for me.
Joshua is a highly capable and well-off banker (a partner in Quin's bank, actually), and a widower. He has just returned from a five-year sojourn in America. It's the middle of a winter storm, just before Christmas, and he heads tiredly for his old home in London, only to find it's already occupied by a widow named Hope and her cheerful young daughter, who claim the home is theirs.
It's an interesting and original setup for the storyline. Both believe the house is theirs. Joshua is cold, wet and exhausted from travel, and Hope allows him to stay the night (on the sofa!) until they can sort things out. The story proceeds nicely from there.
This is a clean read, or closed door, which is different from other books I've read from this author. But there is a very nice romance with a satisfying HEA, and I didn't mind that there were no explicit sex scenes squashed into the short length of the book.
The little mystery of who really owns the house is solved appropriately. It's all a little predictable, but in a very satisfying way. Joshua and Hope are both likeable characters, even perhaps verging on too good to be true. The bad guy is suitably bad, but gets his just desserts. It's all a little black-and-white, but for a Christmas-themed novella with a nice, simple little touch of mystery, it works very well. You give a sigh of pleased satisfaction at the end. Yes! Our lovers get their well-deserved HEA, and the bad guy gets suitably punished. And it's Christmas. I liked it :)
The book is part of Burrowes' Rogues to Riches series, but can easily stand alone. The MMC, Joshua, did appear in one of the earlier books, but here he gets his own story. Quin and Jane make a couple of appearances, but even though it's a while since I read their book, it wasn't an issue for me.
Joshua is a highly capable and well-off banker (a partner in Quin's bank, actually), and a widower. He has just returned from a five-year sojourn in America. It's the middle of a winter storm, just before Christmas, and he heads tiredly for his old home in London, only to find it's already occupied by a widow named Hope and her cheerful young daughter, who claim the home is theirs.
It's an interesting and original setup for the storyline. Both believe the house is theirs. Joshua is cold, wet and exhausted from travel, and Hope allows him to stay the night (on the sofa!) until they can sort things out. The story proceeds nicely from there.
This is a clean read, or closed door, which is different from other books I've read from this author. But there is a very nice romance with a satisfying HEA, and I didn't mind that there were no explicit sex scenes squashed into the short length of the book.
The little mystery of who really owns the house is solved appropriately. It's all a little predictable, but in a very satisfying way. Joshua and Hope are both likeable characters, even perhaps verging on too good to be true. The bad guy is suitably bad, but gets his just desserts. It's all a little black-and-white, but for a Christmas-themed novella with a nice, simple little touch of mystery, it works very well. You give a sigh of pleased satisfaction at the end. Yes! Our lovers get their well-deserved HEA, and the bad guy gets suitably punished. And it's Christmas. I liked it :)
December 10, 2025
Happy Regency Holiday Read
This is a sweet and fun Christmas story with a little pathos.
Joshua Penrose comes home to England and finds a lovely widow living in penury in his family home. He arrives having walked through a snowstorm late in the night and stays because of the weather and his exhaustion. The widow, Hope, and her darling daughter, Holly (MY description, not her mother’sr) are scraping by. Justin does not want to go enjoy a happy Christmas with his friends because a year prior he buried his wife and stepson and is still grieving. He works through his grief and solves several problems while helping the widow. There are poor boys in the mix, other widows, Quinn and Jane Wentworth and Ned Wentworth. It is a sweet and at the same time briskly satisfying story with the holidays as the backdrop. The protagonists are a little older and have both been widowed, which is a refreshing change.
This is not a soppy Christmas story but a satisfying one. There are clever wordplays and fun along with real human emotions about death and the sweet and difficult emotions of those left behind. Grace Burrowes has done an excellent job once again.
This is a sweet and fun Christmas story with a little pathos.
Joshua Penrose comes home to England and finds a lovely widow living in penury in his family home. He arrives having walked through a snowstorm late in the night and stays because of the weather and his exhaustion. The widow, Hope, and her darling daughter, Holly (MY description, not her mother’sr) are scraping by. Justin does not want to go enjoy a happy Christmas with his friends because a year prior he buried his wife and stepson and is still grieving. He works through his grief and solves several problems while helping the widow. There are poor boys in the mix, other widows, Quinn and Jane Wentworth and Ned Wentworth. It is a sweet and at the same time briskly satisfying story with the holidays as the backdrop. The protagonists are a little older and have both been widowed, which is a refreshing change.
This is not a soppy Christmas story but a satisfying one. There are clever wordplays and fun along with real human emotions about death and the sweet and difficult emotions of those left behind. Grace Burrowes has done an excellent job once again.
December 10, 2025
A sweet Christmas Regency novella (or, more accurately, short novel), telling a heartwarming story of how two widowers find a second chance at happiness with the Christmas celebrations on the background.
It is narrated in the unmistakable style of this author and, this once, it is a closed-door romance (which I confess is my preference).
It's supposed to be part of the "Rags to Riches" series; the male protagonist here (Joshua Penrose) is a supporting character from those novels and some of the series characters make a minor appearance. However, the story in this novel is quite independent and, hence, can be easily read on its own. Also, sufficient background information on how everyone's related to each other is given so the reader doesn't feel as if they're missing something.
It is narrated in the unmistakable style of this author and, this once, it is a closed-door romance (which I confess is my preference).
It's supposed to be part of the "Rags to Riches" series; the male protagonist here (Joshua Penrose) is a supporting character from those novels and some of the series characters make a minor appearance. However, the story in this novel is quite independent and, hence, can be easily read on its own. Also, sufficient background information on how everyone's related to each other is given so the reader doesn't feel as if they're missing something.
November 15, 2025
Now I have to have warm, buttered gingerbread. Happy Christmas
My only complaint about this book is that it is a novella, not a nice long novel. It was a perfect Christmas story. Complete with old friends and happy endings. I had to force myself not to gobble this down in one sitting, but spread it out over a few days to savor it.
My only complaint about this book is that it is a novella, not a nice long novel. It was a perfect Christmas story. Complete with old friends and happy endings. I had to force myself not to gobble this down in one sitting, but spread it out over a few days to savor it.
November 17, 2025
Sweet
Another wonderful and straight forward book. I very much liked the continuing characters of this book, having read th Oe Quinn and Jane book previously. I love the hard working people who are generous of nature even when extremely hungry. I like all of your characters. I like all the subtle humor and sometimes the drama. This is just s good read and I liked it very much.
Another wonderful and straight forward book. I very much liked the continuing characters of this book, having read th Oe Quinn and Jane book previously. I love the hard working people who are generous of nature even when extremely hungry. I like all of your characters. I like all the subtle humor and sometimes the drama. This is just s good read and I liked it very much.
November 18, 2025
Joshua went to America to grow the bank, he had been gone for five years. Hope and her daughter Holly, live in a house they think they own. Joshua arrives at his house to find other people living there. Both Joshua and Hope believe they are owners of the house. It was a sweet, wonderful story. I am glad Joshua got his own story.
December 23, 2025
I read a library copy oi this novella.
Delightful! I loved the Rogues to Riches series, and this story was a lovely addition to the mix. The Joshua and Hope relationship developed at the perfect pace, and Holly was such fun! I'm pretty crazy about all of the Grace Burrowes books (that I've read so far), and I'm grateful I have more to come!
Delightful! I loved the Rogues to Riches series, and this story was a lovely addition to the mix. The Joshua and Hope relationship developed at the perfect pace, and Holly was such fun! I'm pretty crazy about all of the Grace Burrowes books (that I've read so far), and I'm grateful I have more to come!
December 28, 2025
A sweet novella for Christmas. Joshua and Hope, with her daughter, navigate loneliness, missing beloved spouses, and searching for a villain who has effectively made both of their lives a bit unbearable. Said villain could have suffered more, yet the end justified the means. Well written with love and characters from previous stories.
December 3, 2025
4.5 stars (docking half a star because the third-act breakup didn't work for me...probably because I don't like third-act breakups). The rest, though, was a lovely holiday read, full of bitter cold counteracted by warm-fuzzy feelings, a lot like the Little Women Christmas chapter.
December 5, 2025
Sweet Christmas story
As always Grace Burrowes tells a wonderful story. It could be a stand alone but is a part of her Rogues to Riches series. A widow and widower, a cute child and a dastardly villain and best of all; a happily ever after. ❤
As always Grace Burrowes tells a wonderful story. It could be a stand alone but is a part of her Rogues to Riches series. A widow and widower, a cute child and a dastardly villain and best of all; a happily ever after. ❤
December 5, 2025
A beautiful story of two lonely people who meet under unusual circumstances.
Joshua and Hope have wonderful chemistry together, there are interesting secondary characters, including Hope's daughter a villain, and cat.
Joshua and Hope have wonderful chemistry together, there are interesting secondary characters, including Hope's daughter a villain, and cat.
December 17, 2025
A novella, so not my favorite length and have to say I thought Penrose was an interesting character in the other books and did not think this short piece gave him justice, would have preferred he got his own novel just saying. A very quick read, free ebook from the library.
December 23, 2025
lovely
This has all the elements of a great Christmas story: hero saddened by memories, heroine suffering financially, charming child, a villain, and rambunctious boys. What is not to love ?
This has all the elements of a great Christmas story: hero saddened by memories, heroine suffering financially, charming child, a villain, and rambunctious boys. What is not to love ?
January 15, 2026
enjoyable Christmas novella
Mr Joshua Penrose has returned a widower from the New World when he finds his house being lived in by a furious, overworked and overworried widow. A new family is sweetly built, and a dear Christmas tale.
Mr Joshua Penrose has returned a widower from the New World when he finds his house being lived in by a furious, overworked and overworried widow. A new family is sweetly built, and a dear Christmas tale.
November 20, 2025
Two lonely souls
Loved the characters, espec
ially the child and the cat. HEA. Adjunct to Wentworth family, who were well represented herein.
Loved the characters, espec
ially the child and the cat. HEA. Adjunct to Wentworth family, who were well represented herein.
November 22, 2025
Sweet little story.
November 29, 2025
Holiday Charm
Always depend on Grace Burrowes to provide a charming tale to warm the heart. Exactly what the holidays call for.
Always depend on Grace Burrowes to provide a charming tale to warm the heart. Exactly what the holidays call for.
December 20, 2025
Just the right length
Lovely story with a fun conundrum.and warm loving characters... including Holly and Heifer. A wonderful holiday warmer-upper. Sweet, cosy and fun.
Lovely story with a fun conundrum.and warm loving characters... including Holly and Heifer. A wonderful holiday warmer-upper. Sweet, cosy and fun.
January 2, 2026
A perfect story for Christmas filled with Burrowes usual charm and warm hearts. I’ve never known a cat named Heifer before. Just a hint of the little surprises and holiday treats that lie within.
January 10, 2026
I love all of Burrowes' books, so this was no surprise. It is a light, fun read. I like the references to already well-known characters. The book was short and sweet.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews