Home For the Holidays: Great for Holiday and Christmas Reading or Gifting

by Johanna Lindsey

For the first time in her sheltered life, Larissa Ascot's wishes for a merry Christmas seem to be in peril. Her father is off to the Colonies on business, but is far overdue to be home. Thus Larissa is left to handle the rumors of her family's bankruptcy, panicked creditors pounding on her door, and eviction. On top of all that, she must now contend with her enigmatic would-be "benefactor," Vincent Everett, the Baron of Windsmoor. The charming and handsome rogue has offered to shelter Larissa, her little brother, and their few remaining servants in his own home, and Larissa has no choice but to accept his proposal--unless she and her younger brother Thomas wish to wake up chin-deep in snow on Christmas morning. The baron would be the first to admit that it is more than the Yuletide spirit of good will that has inspired his generosity From the moment he first set eyes on the enchanting Miss Ascot, he was bewitched. And now that she has taken up residence in his home as well as in his heart, he aches with wanting her -- a most unfortunate state of affirs, since the proud beauty obviously despises him ... and since Vincent has previously sworn to seek a righteous vengeance on Larissa's family. But Christmas is a time of miracles, after all, when love, at the seasonal peak of its power, can triumph over all adversity

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Christmas, Fiction, Holiday, Regency

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Johanna Helen Howard was born on March 10, 1952 in Germany, where her father, Edwin Dennis Howard, a soldier in the U.S. Army was stationed. The family moved about a great deal when she was young. Her father always dreamed of retiring to Hawaii, and after he passed away in 1964 Johanna and her mother settled there to honor him.

In 1970, when she was still in school, she married Ralph Lindsey, becoming a young housewife. The marriage had three children; Alfred, Joseph and Garret, who already have made her a grandmother. After her husband's death, Johanna moved to Maine, New England, to stay near her family.

Johanna Lindsey wrote her first book, Captive Bride in 1977 "on a whim", and the book was a success. By 2006, with over 58 Million copies of her books have been sold worldwide, with translations appearing in 12 languages, Johanna Lindsey is one of the world's most popular authors of historical romance.

Johanna's books span the various eras of history, including books set in the Middle Ages, the American "Old West" and the popular Regency England-Scotland. She has even written a few sci-fi romances. By far the most popular among her books are the stories about the Malory-Anderson Family, a Regency England saga.

Johanna Lindsey died on Oct. 27, 2019 in Nashua, N.H. She was 67.

Reviews

[Ezi Chinny · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[Aly is so frigging bored · Rating 4 out of 5]

It wasn't the best Johanna Lindsey book I've read, but it was a nice Christmas read. The heroine was naive, but not in the annoying way I dreaded, so it worked for the story. The hero was an ass, even if he had his reasons... In the end, I liked them together and I liked them apart and I had fun reading their story.

[Trudy Miner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Following rumors of her father's death, Larrisa Ascot was stunned when she and her brother were also evicted from their home by Vincent Everett, Baron of Windsmoor who bought the mortgage to their house in his attempt to seek vengeance on her father for causing the "death" of Vincent's only brother. However, when he lays eyes on Larrisa, he's so taken by her beauty that he moves them into his home in order to seduce her. Raised by cold, indifferent parents, Vincent didn't know what to make of Larrisa who insisted on putting up a Christmas tree and decorating it and who looked on the bright side of things until she finally figured out that sleeping with him didn't mean marriage and left him Christmas Day. By then it was too late and all Vincent wanted to do was to make Larrisa his wife forever.

I was disappointed in this book. I've read many books by this author but this one could have been so much better; something just seemed to be missing. Larrisa was just so naïve, always believing the best of Vincent. Vincent was so cold-hearted throughout the story until it was too late. Only Thomas and Jonathan seemed to be real people.

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting and enjoyable read. Vincent is an intriguing hero who thinks he feels nothing, but clearly has never gotten over his childhood of emotional neglect. He does some pretty bad things because he is exacting revenge for his brother's suicide. However, he does have a turnaround and truly does repent as his love for Larissa changes his heart and melts the layer of ice that encloses the little-used member. It's a very good Christmas read that captures the elements of A Christmas Carol but also gives them a romantic aspect missing from the famous and well-loved Dickens tale. There is no magic here, well, other than the magic of love transforming a heart. Larissa is way too sweet, at least until her heart is broken. But even then, she manages to find the way to forgive Vincent, with a little help from her father. A good read to get you in the mood for Christmas.

[Frances · Rating 1 out of 5]

Where are the editors?

[Sonia De la rosa · Rating 3 out of 5]

No es el mejor libro de la autora pero es un libro entretenido que te atrapa. La trama es muy sencilla, y probablemente en unos meses no recordaré haberlo leído, la historia transcurre en pocos días, durante los días previos de Navidad y termina poco después de ésas fiestas.
Vincent Everett, barón de Windsmoor, desahaucía a la familia Ascot, es un paso más en su venganza del hombre que había arruinado a su hermano. Pero el patriarca de la familia está de viaje y en la casa solamente se encuentra la hija mayor, Larissa Ascot, y su hermano menor.
Larissa se encuentra sin saber que hacer, sin familia a quién acudir, su hermano enfermo y a pocos días de Navidad. Vincent, que queda prendado de Larissa nada más verla, los acoge en su casa convencido que seducir a la muchacha sería otra forma de venganza. Aunque eso es una mentida que no hace más que repetir para si mismo, porque la realidad es otra muy distinta. Él, que es un hombre sin emociones, empieza a tener sentimientos que nunca antes había experimentado. La necesita... pero entonces, se descubre todo el asunto de la venganza y Larissa se siente traicionada.
Es una novela que se lee de una sentada, que es perfecta para evadirte y pasar pasar una tarde muy agradable.

[Lindsay pinkcowlandreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

[Theresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

1 1/2 stars. I was wanting to read a holiday romance, this is not it. There is a tree involved and it takes place in December, but that is the extent of the holiday. Vincent sets out to ruin the Ascots. While evicting the family he meets the daughter, Larissa, and is attracted. The reader then has about eight chapters of I want her , but I won't marry her, repeat. I almost stopped reading. The book does pick up a little in that there is slightly more happening. Predictable, somewhat tiring read.

[briana ✧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

worlds most pathetic man award goes to vincent everett

[Katherine 黄爱芬 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vincent Everett ingin balas dendam kepada keluarga Ascot krn telah membuat adiknya bunuh diri. Dan saat melihat Larissa Ascot yg cantik, Vincent langsung terbetik bhw gadis ini cocok sbg alat balas dendamnya, dia harus meniduri gadis ini dan membiarkan gadis ini tercemar utk menghukum ayahnya.

Larissa yg lugu terkena umpan dari Vincent dan menyerahkan keperawanannya. Tetapi Vincent tidak menyadari bhw gadis ini sudah menyentuh hatinya yg terdalam. Sbg baron yg dibesarkan scr kaku, dirinya tidak mengenal kasih sayang dari orang terdekatnya. Melihat kedekatan dan kasih sayang Larissa terhadap adiknya yg sedang sakit, kedatangan tiba-tiba ayah Larissa dgn membeberkan hal yg sbnrnya mengubah paradigma Vincent.

Saya suka setting Natal di novel ini. Vincent ibarat Mr. Grinch yg tidak menyukai Natal dan melewatkan harinya bekerja keras spt Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge. Jadilah Larissa spt malaikat yg datang pada saat Natal. Semua dendam kesumatnya jadi pupus. Vincent bisa melihat bhw adiknya yg selama hidupnya dimanja tidak memiliki ketahanan utk mencari uang dan bertahan dalam usahanya. Ketidak-dekatannya dgn adiknya membuatnya kurang mengenali karakter adiknya. Ceritanya bagus novel ini utk kisah Natal.

[Victoria Rodríguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very cute and fast-paced story. It is the first book I read by Johanna Lindsey, and certainly won't be my last. The story is about Vincent Everett and Larissa Ascot. Vincent is the Baron Everett of Windsmoor, he invited Larissa to spend time in his magnificent house. Larissa's father is in the Colonies, and she's afraid of not having a nice Christmas this year. At least Vincent looks like a friendly person, they start talking and having a good time. She wishes to have a perfect Christmas, fortunately, she has the chance of contemplating a beautiful Christmas tree. Vincent swore to seek a righteous vengeance on Larissa's family but something that happened in the past. But in the meantime, he might even fall in love with Larissa, and she may also be in love with him. A sweet story, perfect to read with a cup of tea.

[VaaRida · Rating 3 out of 5]

si raja tipu muslihat dan si raja tega harus berani mengakui kekuatan seorang wanita berhati lembut.
.

[Alejandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fairly new to this author’s work. Enjoyable read with interesting characters.

[Autumn Rose Dearborn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really fun and easy read, and a great introduction to Johanna Lindsay. I have so many of her books on my tbr that I’m not very eager to read. I’ve been putting them off for far too long.

[Patrícia Pereira · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.40

[Heather Christensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[T from Istria 💛💚 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. It was ok, probably lovelier to read around the holidays, there was great Christmas spirit.

[Arlenis Ralfsdóttir · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitivamente no es lo mejor de Johanna Lindsey. Por supuesto su escritura es realmente buena. El problema aquí es la historia y su desarrollo. El plot prometía pero no supo desarrollarlo, para explicarme, no me gustó lo absurdo del enamoramiento de la protagonista, es decir, en un segundo Larissa estaba llorando por su padre y odiando a Vincent y al siguiente segundo está completamente enamorada de él, se entiende que en eta clase de libros los romances ocurren rápido pero en este fue para nada creíble. Por otra parte esta la constante obsesión de Vincent por vengar a su hermano cuando no había motivo alguno, incluso el mismo se lo repetía a si mismo una y otra vez pero no dejaba su estúpida idea. En fin, no me gusto mucho este libro. Entretenido a medias y absurdo en gran manera.

[Gemma · Rating 1 out of 5]

The hero was unlikeable. The "seduce your enemy's daughter/sister/fiance for revenge" theme has been done to death. It's a hard sell, since it makes the hero into a villian. The heroine was so naive I started to wonder if she had a mental problem. TSTL, as many romance readers call it.

I also found historical mistakes in this book. There is mention made of the colonies, so this book must be set in the 1700's, before the American revolution. Yet there is mention of Christmas trees, which didn't become popular in England until the mid 1800s! You would think that someone who is considered one of the leaders in historical romance would know this.

[Maria · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought this flat, insipid, and a bit pointless. Larissa isn't very interesting at all, Lord whatever-his-name-is is a pretty detestable character, who suddenly becomes obsessed with a pretty face. I read it because I was too bored to do anything else. I'm actually glad I bothered. Now I know that I don't immediately like every book just because he and she 'fall in love' at the end. No. I can actually exercise JUDGEMENT within this genre! Fantastic!

[Laura Garay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Me gusta mucho Johanna Lindsey, muchísimo, pero por desgracia este libro me ha dejado un poco indiferente con respecto a los demás libros de la autora.
Encuentro la trama un poco floja y traida por los pelos y el enamoramiento entre los personajes (aunque está claro que debe ser rápido) encuentro que es demasiado apresurado. Los cambios de humor entre los personajes están muy acentuados, cosa que para mi hace que no fluya tanto la lectura.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Absolutely adored it. The villain being the hero is my favorite trope and this one is almost perfect. It's up there with The Duke of Sin by Elizabeth Hoyt and To Have and to Hold by Patricia Gaffney. It's thrilling, touching and little heart breaking.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of her best, but I'm glad I read one of the few Lindseys I haven't gotten around to yet. She was the first romance author I ever read (Once a Princess), and the romance author I was most faithful to over all these years. RIP, Johanna!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always Been a Fan

I have been a fan of hers for over 40 years. Use to live next door to her grandma, but was already a fan by then. Never read a book she wrote I didn't like. She'll be missed. RIP Johanna!

[Charissa Wilkinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overview: Vincent Everett has planned it all out perfectly. George Ascot, the man who--according to Albert--ruined his brother’s attempts at being a competing ship owner is out of the country. Now, Vincent can ruin him. Sure, Ascot can rebuild, and remake his fortune, but nothing will bring Albert back. Though, Ascot has a beautiful daughter. Perhaps he can add insult to injury.

Dislikes: I had a major problem with this story. It’s not the pace of the story, as many of my favorite books are quite slow compared to today’s world. No, it has to do with the time that this book is set in, which was sometime before America and England cut ties with each other. No member of the nobility class in England at this specific timeframe, would have even given a such a glimpse of impropriety.

And then there is Thomas Ascot. He is portrayed as an unsettling boy who seems more like a miniature adult than as a child. Allow me to offer this as a rebuttal. President John Quincy Adams went to and graduated from college being fluent in at least three different languages, all at the age of twelve. President Adams wasn’t the exception for that generation, he was the rule.

These two examples are part of what hurt the story for me. I’d be reading along, getting immersed in the story, and something else would knock me right out of it. Is this how scientists feel when they run across campy science-fiction stories?

Likes: Thomas was determined to protect his sister. And George was more forgiving that any man would be in the era of ‘marry her or die’. At least the sexual conduct wasn’t explicit.

Conclusion: This is going to be a hard book to recommend. It can be a fun ride as long as you don’t have too much knowledge of the time that this story takes place. I hope you have more enjoyment out of the story than I did.

[Skittles Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very very pale and bland 2.5 stars rounded off to 3. I had such high hopes for this novel! It has my absolute favourite tropes: enemies to lovers, families at war, revenge as a motivation, but the hero can not resist the heroine.

But then despite having all these elements to it, I find this book very bland. Why? Maybe because the heroine seems weak and stupid? To trust a man whom you just met? 😩 Good God. How did she survive all these years? And she was supposed to have spent one year of her life devoting it to “household” responsibilities. I would expect that takes a bit of a common sense at least? It frustrates meeeee!

And the hero talks weird. The litanies he tells himself sound off to me. The way the words are formed and “spoken” just do not seem realistic. I also hate him for what he has done because his reasonings just sound petty and baseless. With his feelings for the heroine, he sounds obsessive then passive. Like I’m getting frustrated coz I’d feel like I’m getting to the good stuff where he would weigh in on his emotions and realize how he feels (it does happen) but then it would stop? It’s like it’s not done enough for me, if that makes sense. And with the groveling which I have been looking bloody forward to, I would have wanted to read what he’s been doing in detail to redeem himself fully. It has been mentioned but the narrative’s too dry for my liking.

Salt to the wound- the heroine, lo and behold, forgave too easily. Oh goodness gracious. Love wins blah blah. Needed more angst from this really. Where is the magic, JL?

[Marta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vincent decide vengarse de Mr. Ascot al descubrir que su hermano se ha suicidado después de que Ascot le haya arruinado. Aprovechando que Ascot está de viaje compra su casa y decide echar a sus hijos a la calle, pero cuando conoce a Larissa la hija mayor se queda prendado y decir cambiar de plan y en vez de dejarlos en la calle se lleva a los hijos de Ascot a su casa para poder seducir a Larissa y así vénganse. Larissa es una joven dulce y de muy buen corazón que no ve las intenciones de Vincent y cae en su trampa. Aunque al principio la seduce solo por venganza poco a poco Larissa irá entrando en el corazón de Vincent y las cosas van cambiando pero ¿Será el ansia de venganza más fuerte que el amor? ¿Podrá perdonar Larissa a Vincent cuando descubra sus intenciones?
Sobre los personajes deciros que Vincent no me gustaba al principio, todo lo de vengarse y todo lo que hace a la pobre Larissa no me gusta. Larissa me ha gustado mucho, es buena, de esas personas que no ven la maldad en la gente y le enseña a Vincent lo bonita que es la navidad.
Me ha gustado la historia, es entretenida y se lee muy rápido a de más es corta.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

My feelings ran the gamut while reading this book, and that's a good thing. The author was successful in conveying the good, the bad and the ugly of the characters as well as the story line. I love the time period of the story and found myself caring for all of the characters, even Vincent, who started out as one of the most unsavory people I'd ever read about. This author has a strange writing style at times, with annoyingly clunky sentence structure. (Ex: "He sat behind a large desk. He was reading a newspaper. He didn't glance up." or "He moved to the parlor, didn't wait for her, knew she would follow.") All in all this is a sweet, quick read for Christmas and left me with a smile on my face.

Some of my favorite passages from the book:

"Like liquid gold, his eyes were so hot they seared, melting away any last trace of indecision she'd been feeling."

"Assumptions had a way of easing doubts, but they also crumbled when subjected to too much time and scrutiny."

"Christmas wasn't about a place, after all; for them it was about family, and sharing, and love."

[Marina P · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring story of Larissa Ascot, a naive 18 year old girl whose father leaves her alone with her brother in order to go on a prolonged business trip....

The hero of this story , Vincent Everett, believes that his brother committed suicide because the heroine’s father ruined him financially....

So Vincent seeks to avenge his brother, although they were not close to each other and buys the house which the Ascots rented and throws them out. Then he learns that Mr Ascot is not at home, only his two children are in residence.

Vincent falls in love with Larissa upon setting his eyes on her, because she is more beautiful than anyone he has ever seen...

He convinces her to move to his house with her brother with a flimsy excuse, where he then goes on an seduces her.

The writing style is so awful I had to force myself to read this book until the end.

Both heroes were pathetic characters