A Christmas Kiss

by Jess Michaels

Tricked into spending time alone with the husband who made it clear he doesn't care about her, the Countess of Blackgrove, Amelia, has no idea how to react.

But Stephen only wants seduction... and love.

A FREE SHORT STORY - originally published in WANTON CHRISTMAS WISHES.

Genres: Historical Romance, Christmas, Romance, Novella, Historical, Holiday, Short Stories

34 pages, ebook

First published November 3, 2014

About the author

Jess Michaels is a USA Today Bestselling Author who likes geeky stuff like Star Wars, playing video games (she ships herself with Dragon Age’s Iron Bull FOREVER), Bob’s Burgers and collecting POPs! She also drinks a LOT of Diet Coke. Probably an unhealthy amount, but it’s her only vice. She will eat (almost) anything coconut, truly anything cheesy and nothing spicy (yes, she is a walking stereotype when it comes to that). She likes cats, her dog Elton and people who care about the welfare of their fellow humans.

Although she started out traditionally published by Avon/HarperCollins, Pocket, Hachette and Samhain Publishing, in 2015 she went fully indie and has never looked back! She is lucky enough to be married to her favorite person in the world and live tucked between the ocean and the mountains in Oregon.

When she’s not watching Our Flag Means Death or trying out all the new flavors of Greek yogurt, she writes historical romances with smoking hot heroes and sassy heroines who do anything but wait to get what they want.

Reviews

[Jess Michaels]

Yes, I actually did read my own book. I'm not going to rank it, since that would be rather disingenuous, but it has been a long time since I read it so I did.

[Aou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too sweet and h was way too forgiving for me but because this is a very short novella, I'm not holding these to reduce the stars. 😎

[Vikki Vaught · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been a fan of Jess Michaels for a couple of years, and find her books a delight to read. While searching for Christmas stories to read this year, I found A Christmas Kiss and the book description intrigued me. On top of that, it is also a FREE read on Amazon.

For such a short novella, the characters are well-defined and the story is realistic, and it is true to the Regency setting, my personal favorite read. I particularly enjoyed the fact that Ms. Michaels didn’t attempt to have a hero and heroine––who had never met before––fall in love in a matter of days. So many times that is the case in a novella particularly, and that just isn’t believable to me. While I do believe in immediate attraction at first sight, the love takes a bit longer.

Amelia, the Countess of Blackgrove is an enchanting character, and I liked her from the first page. As the story unfolds, I became enmeshed with her immediately, feeling her betrayal acutely. I love when that happens, and it’s a sign of a very talented author, which Ms. Michaels is without a doubt.

I didn’t expect to like Stephen, the earl’s character, but he shows so much remorse over his hurtful words, I truly enjoyed this hero. He sets out to woo his lady and does it brilliantly. His thoughtfulness touched my heart.

For me, this isn’t what I normally expect in a Christmas tale. Possibly if the days where he wooed her included a descriptive scene involving decorations, it would have fit my expectations better.

Nonetheless, A Christmas Kiss is very well-written and engaged me from beginning to end, and I absolutely loved the ending. If you enjoy reunion romances with plenty of spice, then you will enjoy this charming story. Happy reading!

4.5 Gold Crowns

[Melanie THEE Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

I needed more yearning. The steam didn’t even hit the way it should’ve 😭46 pages wasn’t enough for a marriage in crisis romance. Which sucks because I love a well-written marriage in crisis romance! Had this been at least 146 pages, I probably would’ve given this 3 or 4 stars. Unfortunately, Amelia forgave Stephen wayyyyy too quickly and the HEA didn’t feel well-earned.

[Susy Santos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Small but absolutely delightful

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet little Christmas romance.


Amelia loved her husband Stephen when they married but the very next day she heard him admit that he'd only married her for her money. After just one night together she flees to her sisters now six months later she's back and preparing the house for Christmas with both families.
Stephen wants his wife back, he knows he's to blame for hurting her but he's going to try and woo her back into his life.
This is a lovely sweet read and I do have a weakness for a Christmas romance but at only 44 pages it's incredibly short and therefore lacks any real depth, character development or background, not that it needs it it works as it is but that's the reason for my 3 stars.

[Beebs · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh! It was ok, just too short to get invested in the characters really.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked what little we got of this quite a bit, but there was plenty here to fill full-length story and I wish we'd gotten it.

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've enjoyed Jess Michaels' books in the past and finally got around to picking up one that has been waiting on my Kindle a good long time.

Its a short novella that features a second chance romance for an estranged married pair. Stephen broke Amelia's heart after their wedding night when she learned that while she loved him; he loved her dowry. Now, for the Christmas season, he's brought them together and is determined to show that he wants their marriage to work. Can she trust him.

Spicy and quick, this was an engaging historical romance set during the Christmas season.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

""You grow daffodils in your hothouse?" she whispered.
He moved a little closer. "Once I didn't. But I do now."
"Why?" she said, her voice barely carrying. It didn't need to. He was close enough to hear her heartbeat.
"Have I not made it clear, Amelia?" he asked, his voice nearly as soft as her own. "I picked these flowers because they are your favorite. And I chose your favorite because I am wooing you, wife.""

Oh I loved this.

When Amelia arrives at her estranged husband's country house for the holidays, the last thing she expects is to find said husband welcoming her with words of adoration and sinful kisses. Stephen has only one objective in mind: to prove his love and devotion for his wife after betraying her trust. So he sets our to seduce her, first with thoughtful gifts, then with hotter touches and finally, total honesty.

It was amazing what Jess Michaels managed to accomplish with so few words. A Christmas Kiss was enchanting, sweet and with a sexy flair that had become Michaels' signature. My only complaint was that it was too short. I wanted to read even more about Amelia and Stephen, their courtship, wedding day AND night, everything. Still, it feels so good being able to add another second chance romance to my keeper shelf considering it doesn't happen very often.

[Cheesecake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amelia and Stephan. I feel like this one was written just for people like me who love a good grovel.
There really isn't much to the story. At the start, Amelia and Stephan are married but already estranged. She had left him the day after their wedding and a fabulous wedding night, after overhearing him say that he had married her for her money. Now 6 months later, he is ready to win her back. I quite enjoyed this, even though there isn't much to the story. The characters had some depth and I wasn't sure which way the author was going to go with the story.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a frustrating read for me through no fault of the actual story. Somehow the copy I purchased was formatted terribly—it read like an early draft an editor was working on—and so I kept having to replace words or re-ordering sentences in my head. I even tried taking it off my device and resending it to myself, but the issues remained. Since a friend tipped me off to this, they even checked their copy compared to mine and the same page was totally fine for them.

Anyhow, that’s all to say, I liked the heart of the relationship and there’s plenty that could be explored, but it’s hard to know what I missed/what was changed in this jumbled copy.

[Brianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was quick and cute.

I wanted something quick and steamy, and I saw this author recommended somewhere on the Internet. Since I already had this, and it was a short story, I figured it would be perfect.

As it turned out, I wanted more character development. Why, exactly, did Stephen love his wife enough to summon her to his home for the holidays?

Despite that, I did like this book. It was a good light read, and I recommend it to any readers of historical romance looking for an easy, steamy read.

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a nice novella about a married couple who learned to move beyond a misunderstanding and rekindle their relationship. Steamy and sexy!

[Mrs Caroline Trevor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

I found this a good book. Amelia overheard a conversation the day after her wedding that her marriage was a farce as he married her for her money. 6 months later they come back together to try to make a go of their marriage.

[Franci · Rating 4 out of 5]

#111 of 2021

#11 of 2021 Christmas / Holiday Reads

[Silvas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Relido em 05/2022.

[Debra Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Purch Amazon May 10, 2017
A Christmas Kiss by Jess Michaels
Genres; Adult, Historical, Romance
4 Stars

This was a great little short historical romance. Writing like this is one of the reasons I started following and reading Jess Michaels books. If it had been a full length story it most likely would have gotten 4.75 stars which would have made a 5 star rating. But, 44 pages just wasn't enough for that.

It is fast paced. Very well written. No typos/editing errors.

All in all, a great, fun, fast paced, very romantic, adult read.

I highly recommend to all adult historical romance readers.

[Marianne · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was extremely short, which may be why the author decided to start the sex on about page three. I didn't like the characters, especially the hero, right from the start, and with about half the story devoted to sex, there wasn't time to get to know them, for character development, or any believable story arc with conflict and resolution. I skimmed most of it.

[Kimberly Rocha~ Book Obsessed Chicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short, sweet and sexy.... A very nice quick read!

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

a quick read and a great second chance story

[Mudpie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first book by this author and if this is typical of her writing then I'll definitely be reading more of her books!

The writer calls herself a historical erotic writer but this book was steamy, not erotic haha! It's still a great read.

Right from the start, I was pulled into the story and felt all of Amelia's pain, anxiety, angst and fragile hope. Stephen had broken her heart most badly the morning after their wedding night, and they'd spent the past six months apart.

I totally feel for her when she's puzzled over Stephen's motives in wooing her, now that he already got her dowry... Him explaining his behaviour, and trying to prove in deed his love for her, redeemed him in my eyes.

It's a strong man who could put aside his pride to confess it all to the woman he loves!

Just under 40 pages long, it's very challenging to write a story that feels complete. Amazingly the author achieved this, a very short story but satisfying read. I must say it didn't feel very Christmasy though, the holiday event was just an excuse to get Amelia to go to Stephen's family estate.

[LOU71 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Christmas Kiss is a historical Regency romance novella.

Amelia, Lady Blackgrove, has been summoned to Hillbury Castle, the country home of her estranged husband of six months. The last time she saw her husband was the day after their wedding when she discovered the terrible truth about him.

Stephen, the Earl of Blackgrove, has sent for his wife under false pretenses. She thinks she is needed for a holiday farce as their two families meet for Christmas. Unbeknownst to Amelia, Stephen actually intends on wooing her.

As with most novellas, there are unanswered questions and lots of background story missing. But, if you can suspend initial judgement of the circumstances the Hero and Heroine find themselves in, it’s quite a redemptive tale from broken trust to a HEA.

I recommend this for a quick light read.

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stars: 2
Read: Nov. 4

It was ok. In this case, it means that I actually liked the story, but it could have been a lot better, if it had been more developed. I am not necessarily talking about length, I'm talking about making it a full, round, satisfying read.
This one will, however, go into my list of lovely quick reads for a bit of me-time.

(To read about more Regency Christmas Novellas, click my blog.)

[Annemarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a Christmas story? We never got to read about Amelia and Stephen's actual holiday together with their families. She arrives 2 weeks before Christmas and week before the families to ready the house for the holidays. Stephen is there to greet her, to woo her back, to explain himself, beg forgiveness and let her know he truly loves her. An epilogue showing the next holiday with a pregnancy announcement to the families would've been nice.

[☽ Rhiannon ✭ Mistwalker ☾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

SO MUCH POTENTIAL ANGST. The premise is one of my all-time favorites! But I was disappointed. The heroine just caves, like, immediately. There is just not enough pages for an appropriate grovel, and without the room for character development, the hero's excuse for his behavior just falls flat. Still, I adore this trope.

[Beverly McCall · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet romantic tale set in the regency era. Plot line focuses on this character-driven plot line. Liked the way Ms. Michaels used the theme of misunderstanding and lack of communication can set one course for a newly married couple. Can they correct their wrong turns? Will they get together? You have to read this book to find out.

[Katja · Rating 4 out of 5]

A reconciliation story. Rather too short to feel any pining before they are well on their way to being together. Like, you know, there's some sexual activity the first time they're in a room together.
It was nice but for a second chance story to be effective you have to feel the angst of the separation first.

[Andrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It felt like I was reading the last 4 chapters of a book. What Jess Michaels did, was that she left out all the drama, the courting, the meeting of the characters and she went straight to the end. Their reuninion.

[Charmaine Fernando · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good read

I downloaded this book not sure I would like the really short story and if there would be enough content in it. I’m so Glad I did! It was a short but satisfying read for a lazy afternoon. I would recommend this without reservation. Fantastic!!