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A Christmas Kiss
During the holiday season, a governess loses her heart to an earl with no intention of marrying again, in this Cinderella story set in Regency England. After defending her virtue by striking the besotted son of her employer, Miss Evalyn Pennington is discharged from her position under a cloud of scandal. With no place to go and no prospects for the coming year, the impoverished governess accepts an invitation from Jamie Everard, heir to an earldom, to spend the holidays at his family’s estate. But Evalyn has barely settled in at Gyllford Manor when she catches the eye of Philip Everard, the fourth Earl of Gyllford—and Jamie’s father. After his wife died, Philip vowed to never marry again, despite his sister’s best efforts to reintroduce him to London society. Then, his son brings a guest home for Christmas. Is the lovely, intelligent Evalyn the woman to make his footloose son settle down at last? But why does Jamie treat Evalyn in such a cavalier manner? And what is Philip to do about the reigning beauty of London who has set her cap for him—and is about to set in motion a scheme that will have far-reaching consequences for them all? A witty and warm tale about morals, mores, marriage, and mistaken intentions, this classic Regency holiday romance introduces a woman who refuses to surrender her ideals, and a man in danger of losing the one thing he swore never again to his heart.
257 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1970
24 people are currently reading
150 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Mansfield
59 books61 followersElizabeth Mansfield is the author of numerous regency romances. She is an intelligent and thoughtful writer, a hidden gem whose novels deserve to be more widely read and enjoyed.
Elizabeth Mansfield is the pen name of the talented Paula Reibel Schwartz. Ms Schwartz also wrote different genres under the pen names Paula Reibel, Paula Reid, and Paula Jonas.
Elizabeth Mansfield is the pen name of the talented Paula Reibel Schwartz. Ms Schwartz also wrote different genres under the pen names Paula Reibel, Paula Reid, and Paula Jonas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
December 8, 2015
This was a warm and fuzzy romance if you can just get past the age difference. I understand why some readers will love the story and others will consider it icky or offensive because of this issue. That aside, I found myself in the majority; I thoroughly enjoyed this heartwarming tale of two interesting but lonely characters found in a social error.
Jamie and his friend, Reggie, meant well when they convinced the governess, Miss Evalyn Pennington, to stay with his extended family over the holidays. She was in dire straits because one of their acquaintances behaved improperly while she worked in his parents' home. Defending herself, Evelyn smacked the young man's head with an Atlas and immediately lost her position.
An orphaned young miss with no immediate family, Jamie convinces her that their intentions are honest and she will find employment before the New Year. Without giving too much more of the storyline away, there is a minor misunderstanding when Evalyn was introduced to Jamie's father, Philip, and his aunt. They think that Jamie intends to marry her. Words are misconstrued and actions are wrongly identified and what occurred was an enjoyable comedy of errors.
Jamie and his friend, Reggie, meant well when they convinced the governess, Miss Evalyn Pennington, to stay with his extended family over the holidays. She was in dire straits because one of their acquaintances behaved improperly while she worked in his parents' home. Defending herself, Evelyn smacked the young man's head with an Atlas and immediately lost her position.
An orphaned young miss with no immediate family, Jamie convinces her that their intentions are honest and she will find employment before the New Year. Without giving too much more of the storyline away, there is a minor misunderstanding when Evalyn was introduced to Jamie's father, Philip, and his aunt. They think that Jamie intends to marry her. Words are misconstrued and actions are wrongly identified and what occurred was an enjoyable comedy of errors.
July 6, 2013
Regarding A Christmas Kiss: This is an old-school Regency, very much in the Georgette Heyer vein. And it's delightful! An excellent Regency featuring witty, low-key characters that live and breathe the period.
Having witnessed a besotted friend cause his family's governess to be turned off without character before Christmastime, a gallant young heir to an earldom and another, lisping lordly friend decide to rescue her. They plot to help her find a new post by having her invited to join his family over the Christmas holiday. This will give her a place to stay for a few weeks and meet her immediate needs. And the young men believe she will so impress the heir's aunt, the current earl's sister, that she will use her connections to find suitable employment for the mistreated governess in the new year.
The earl, a still studly widower who's resisted every lure, falls head over heels for the calm, quick-thinking woman his son has brought home, presumably to introduce to the family prior to marrying her. Very inconvenient. (Worse, he is increasingly disgusted by his son's lackadaisical attitude toward his intended.)
Another, catty bitch determined to catch the earl herself has inveigled an invitation and sets about to charm him, but she sees how the wind's blowing and changes course to discredit the governess.
Meanwhile in their every encounter, the earl and the governess take each other's measure and indulge in light (very droll) banter as they explore their polar-opposite points of view.
I loved reading this. Beautifully effortless storytelling, with charming characters. The hero and heroine struggle under misapprehensions but their misunderstandings certainly make sense and are appropriate for the period and their disparate social spheres. The secondary characters also find love over the holdiay and are themselves, funny, full-bodied and delightful.
I'll be reading more of E. Mansfield's stories!
Having witnessed a besotted friend cause his family's governess to be turned off without character before Christmastime, a gallant young heir to an earldom and another, lisping lordly friend decide to rescue her. They plot to help her find a new post by having her invited to join his family over the Christmas holiday. This will give her a place to stay for a few weeks and meet her immediate needs. And the young men believe she will so impress the heir's aunt, the current earl's sister, that she will use her connections to find suitable employment for the mistreated governess in the new year.
The earl, a still studly widower who's resisted every lure, falls head over heels for the calm, quick-thinking woman his son has brought home, presumably to introduce to the family prior to marrying her. Very inconvenient. (Worse, he is increasingly disgusted by his son's lackadaisical attitude toward his intended.)
Another, catty bitch determined to catch the earl herself has inveigled an invitation and sets about to charm him, but she sees how the wind's blowing and changes course to discredit the governess.
Meanwhile in their every encounter, the earl and the governess take each other's measure and indulge in light (very droll) banter as they explore their polar-opposite points of view.
I loved reading this. Beautifully effortless storytelling, with charming characters. The hero and heroine struggle under misapprehensions but their misunderstandings certainly make sense and are appropriate for the period and their disparate social spheres. The secondary characters also find love over the holdiay and are themselves, funny, full-bodied and delightful.
I'll be reading more of E. Mansfield's stories!
November 29, 2016
This book was super-cute. Clean romance, with the typical misunderstanding causing drama and the ensuing truth telling that leads to the HEA. I really REALLY loved the detail of how they celebrated Christmas in the Regency era, especially the explanation of the game "Snap Dragon", which I have always heard of, but didn't know how it was played or what exactly it entailed.
I have always loved Regency romances, because they are clean, funny at times and always educational. This book brought me back to my teenage years. My best friend and I would go to the local independent bookstore (which I am now the manager of incidentally. The world is smaller than it looks!) We would buy a bunch of older Regency novels, on occasion getting the same one, then going back to her parents' house and secluding ourselves in her room and read the rest of the Saturday away, discussing the book we were reading if it was the same one. Very cozy and calm. Great way to pass a Saturday, IMHO.
This book brought me back to those happy, adult-worry free days.
The love at first sight scene was SO touching and sweet! I felt like I had been pole axed myself! Very well written and cute. Gentle read, suitable for capable, mature readers, teen on up I would say. Precocious middle readers too, if they like that sort of thing. Nothing graphic and the romantic interludes are off screen and imply nothing more than some very energetic kissing, at least to my innocent little mind. O:)
Highly recommended for those who want to learn a little more about how Christmas was celebrated in Regency era England while also reading a romance with the requisite drama and HEA. Five huge, took-me-back, stars!
My thanks to NetGalley and Open Road Integrated Media for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
I have always loved Regency romances, because they are clean, funny at times and always educational. This book brought me back to my teenage years. My best friend and I would go to the local independent bookstore (which I am now the manager of incidentally. The world is smaller than it looks!) We would buy a bunch of older Regency novels, on occasion getting the same one, then going back to her parents' house and secluding ourselves in her room and read the rest of the Saturday away, discussing the book we were reading if it was the same one. Very cozy and calm. Great way to pass a Saturday, IMHO.
This book brought me back to those happy, adult-worry free days.
The love at first sight scene was SO touching and sweet! I felt like I had been pole axed myself! Very well written and cute. Gentle read, suitable for capable, mature readers, teen on up I would say. Precocious middle readers too, if they like that sort of thing. Nothing graphic and the romantic interludes are off screen and imply nothing more than some very energetic kissing, at least to my innocent little mind. O:)
Highly recommended for those who want to learn a little more about how Christmas was celebrated in Regency era England while also reading a romance with the requisite drama and HEA. Five huge, took-me-back, stars!
My thanks to NetGalley and Open Road Integrated Media for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
December 12, 2015
This was just OK read. The story felt too long, fueled by one big wrong assumption by the hero Philip, Earl of Gyllford, who thought the heroine, Evalyn Pennington, and his son, Jamie, had an understanding/plans to marry. Once the assumption was made, it was never questioned by Philip until the last quarter of the story. Why not? There were plenty of opportunities to talk to his son, to at least mention such an important step in his life. I really disliked this plot device. It didn't provide adequate time for romance development. The protagonists just didn't spend enough time together as Philip was always fighting what he considered inappropriate attraction to Evalyn. There were some cute moments. I liked description of Christmas celebration. A large cast of colorful secondary characters provided some entertaining moments but not enough of them to elevate the dullness of the story.
April 15, 2014
This is such a delightfully funny Traditional Regency. I greatly enjoyed all the characters with their own unique quirkiness - some intended solely as fools - but the spirit of love and Christmas brought in all well-suited pairing, except for one poor Jamie. The story is fluffy, but it's a very cute fluff, and with well written historical details too, especially with regards to ladies' clothing of the day.
Anyways, I really enjoyed this, and would recommend it to any fan of tender, lighthearted traditional regencies. :)
[Thanks to Ilze for recommending me this! This was the perfect story to cheer me up.]
Anyways, I really enjoyed this, and would recommend it to any fan of tender, lighthearted traditional regencies. :)
[Thanks to Ilze for recommending me this! This was the perfect story to cheer me up.]
December 22, 2020
I listened to this book all day today & absolutely & surprisingly loved it!! I’d never heard of this author before but I saw this on hoopla & gave it a go. This very Georgette Heyer esque novel was such a delight to read! The heroine is half the age of the hero but I love big age gaps so I adored it. (Who else likes a silver fox?😉) The heroine is mature so the age difference was not bothersome to me in the least. (Plus matches were made with big age gaps all the time in that period💓)
There’s really 3 love stories in the book so even though the romance of the main characters was slow burn my interest was still there & my heart always engaged. I really liked the endearing & comical characters, the cleanliness of it, & the interesting plot. I feel like it’s rare to find a book with a silver fox & big age gap that’s G rated &/or CF, ya know?
This book had me smiling from ear to ear. The cover on goodreads is a little off putting but this is a super clean & well written regency romance. 😍
There’s really 3 love stories in the book so even though the romance of the main characters was slow burn my interest was still there & my heart always engaged. I really liked the endearing & comical characters, the cleanliness of it, & the interesting plot. I feel like it’s rare to find a book with a silver fox & big age gap that’s G rated &/or CF, ya know?
This book had me smiling from ear to ear. The cover on goodreads is a little off putting but this is a super clean & well written regency romance. 😍
November 12, 2013
When Miss Evalyn Pennington, a penniless governess, is accosted by her employer's besotted son Geoffrey, Evalyn is turned off without a character. Her only choice is to go to a distant relative in London and hope to find a position. Geoffrey's friends are aghast at his treatment of Miss Pennington and hit upon the perfect solution. Jamie Everard will ask his father, the Earl of Gyllford and his Aunt Clarissa to invite Miss Pennington home for the holidays. Once Aunt Clarissa meets Evalyn, she will be able to recommend a new place for the governess. Jamie, with his best friend Reggie, convince Evalyn to go along with their plan even hiring her an abigail to make everything proper. Other guests are invited to Gyllford Manor for Christmas as well, including the Covingstons, a family with a pretty teenage daughter and a pair of lively twins and Gervaise, Lady Clarissa Steele's longtime friend and beau. Also invited is Miss Sally Trevelyan, a scheming woman determined to catch the widowed Earl. Sally has a difficult job ahead for the widower refuses to be caught. He is still grieving over the death of his wife many years ago. When Evalyn arrives she is made to feel welcome and a part of the festivities, for all she tries to stay in the nursery with the twins. Phllip, the Earl, wonders what his son's intentions are towards Miss Pennington and believes the pair to be engaged. If that is so, then why does Jamie spend all his time with the lovely young Marianne? As Philip tries his hardest to be a good host, he finds himself inexplicably drawn to Evalyn and she to him. Then he suddenly withdraws and turns his attentions towards Sally. Hurt, Evalyn tries to run away and when Phllip realizes the truth, it may be too late.
This story is much longer than the typical Signet Regency. It would have made a far better short story. As it stands, it's too long and slow. The characters are all so stereotypical, with the exception of Philip, it's almost painful. Evalyn is too perfect and good so I did not like her much. Phillip is an original character but he's also too good and kind to be realistic. Though predictability is a hallmark of the genre, this one is incredibly predictable and full of cliches. My favorite part of the story was the description of the Christmas celebration. What could have been a heartwarming short story is here a rather slow, predictable, fluffy novel. It's not bad just not really my style.
This story is much longer than the typical Signet Regency. It would have made a far better short story. As it stands, it's too long and slow. The characters are all so stereotypical, with the exception of Philip, it's almost painful. Evalyn is too perfect and good so I did not like her much. Phillip is an original character but he's also too good and kind to be realistic. Though predictability is a hallmark of the genre, this one is incredibly predictable and full of cliches. My favorite part of the story was the description of the Christmas celebration. What could have been a heartwarming short story is here a rather slow, predictable, fluffy novel. It's not bad just not really my style.
December 10, 2009
Nice traditional Regency romance; although the plot revolves around a misunderstanding, just about everyone involved is gracious, mature and good-natured. (With the exception of the obvious villains.) The niceness eventually got a little dull, but it was a pleasant read.
December 22, 2022
This book came up on my cheap Kindle emails that I get daily, and I have enjoyed Elizabeth Mansfield's other books, so I thought I'd give myself a holiday treat. It was a fun Regency; poor governess finds true love with an Earl (after a number of ups and downs of course).
December 12, 2019
I actually listened to this recorded as an audiobook. I liked the performance and would recommend for a light read/listen. Gets one in the holiday spirit.
December 28, 2016
A lot of misunderstandings create the conflicts in this book, which has a governess discharged for poor reasons being offered a holiday visit at the home of a young man who feels sorry for her. Lots of confusion ensues due to his family totally misreading why he brought her. Things all resolve in the end, making this a satisfying Christmas read, but be warned - you do want to shake some people for jumping to so many conclusions, and there are a number of coincidences that stretch credulity a little. Never the less, this is a fun read.
November 20, 2017
There were moments in this book when I thought it approached Georgette Heyer-like heights. It never quite made it, but it came close. It was a lovely, traditional Regency, with none of the modern overlay. Characters act respectably and with honor and there is no mention of tongues and groping in the dark. What a nice change of pace from modern Regency romances. The humor is gentle and the characters true to the style. I really enjoyed it.
August 4, 2023
I was enjoying this tale very much until Evalyn's dreaded too-stupid-to-live moment - . I was so disappointed in her & groaned out loud. To that point it was quite an amusing read, full of romance & silly fun. As it was, I still enjoyed this 1970 Regency.
December 28, 2024
This was harmless, I suppose. I read it on the recommendation of a blogger who enjoyed the humour, although I found humour thin on the ground. It read like a mash up of various Georgette Heyer novels but without any real depth of character or humour. Also pretty anachronistic at times, but as I say, harmless enough if you warm to a romance where the hero has a son the exact same age as the heroine...
December 4, 2017
Sweet and silly Cinderella story
Charming and amusing characters situated perfectly for a Christmas house party where love runs rampant leaving four happy couples at the brink of marriage.
Charming and amusing characters situated perfectly for a Christmas house party where love runs rampant leaving four happy couples at the brink of marriage.
November 30, 2017
I️ loved this book, reminded me of “Pride and Prejudice”, read it in one day.
December 11, 2017
Classical regency romance.
Charming and amusing. Entertaining read.
Charming and amusing. Entertaining read.
August 11, 2018
Cute little story.
December 14, 2018
Seasonal fun
December 18, 2018
I had the audio book. The reader made it hard to get into the story. But a Christmas romance is still a Christmas romance.
June 17, 2020
good-natured
November 29, 2020
3.5🌟
Its a sweet clean romance. This book reeks of kindness and good will. Lights up our hearts.
Its a sweet clean romance. This book reeks of kindness and good will. Lights up our hearts.
May 23, 2021
Cute one
Very cute story, set in what might be Recency England. Attractive characters, nice description, without any tortuous turmoil. Not a lot of depth , but fun.
Very cute story, set in what might be Recency England. Attractive characters, nice description, without any tortuous turmoil. Not a lot of depth , but fun.
October 21, 2021
A Christmas kiss is powered by a misunderstanding that doesn't drag the plot down. Decent characters as well.
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December 22, 202112/18/16 ; 12/5/17
December 9, 2022
Writing is a bit prosy, but it is clean with an interesting plot. No objectionable elements. I enjoyed it.
December 25, 2022
Reread from years ago, because I had fond memories of the book. A little bit in the boring side reading as an adult. But I always like Xmas regency’s romances
March 15, 2023
I've read so much m/m romance lately, I've forgotten m/f is a thing :) What a delightful G-rated Christmas romance!
January 15, 2024
This was a great book. Truly an entertaining read and at times laugh out loud funny. Loved the witty banter between characters and the happily ever after ending. Highly recommend!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews