Christmas Charity

Fair Cyprians of London #5

by Beverley Oakley, Beverley Eikli

Reluctant courtesan Charity has found true love with Hugo, her first and only client. But when poet and artist Hugo is tricked into gambling away his impending inheritance, Charity finds herself at the mercy of Madam Chambon and her infamous house of ill-repute.

Can the two young lovers thwart the conspiracy between Hugo’s social-climbing father, and slippery cousin Cyril, so Hugo can make Charity his Christmas bride?

Previously published in the Once Upon a Christmas Wedding anthology

Genres: Christmas, Historical Romance, Novella, Romance, Regency

173 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 13, 2019

About the author

Also writes under Beverley Eikli.

Beverley Oakley writes Regency, Victorian and Georgian-set romances full of passion and laced with mystery and intrigue.

Born in the mountain kingdom of Lesotho, she married the handsome bush pilot she met in Botswana while managing a safari lodge and has spent the rest of her life as a ‘trailing spouse’ doing what she loves most: writing books from sweet to steamy; and from humorous to historical romantic suspense.

Here’s more about her series.

Daughters of Sin
A very steamy, funny, witty and dangerous Regency-set ‘Dynasty’ featuring two nobly-born debutantes and their illegitimate sisters - laced with political intrigue, cheating spouses and, of course, dangerous gentlemen.

1. Her Gilded Prison
2. Dangerous Gentlemen
3. The Mysterious Governess
4. Beyond Rubies
5. Lady Unveiled: The Cuckold’s Conspiracy
(Prequel coming October 2021)

The Scandalous Miss Brightwells
A humorous, sometimes steamy, matchmaking series – with some books sweeter and more sensual and poignant.

1. Rake’s Honour
2. Rogue’s Kiss
3. The Wedding Wager
4. The Accidental Elopement
5. The Honourable Fortune Hunter
6. The Wilful Widow
7. The Courtship Caper


Fair Cyprians of London

A group of women who work in a high class House of Assignation. Ranging from very steamy to sweet, hopeful redemption stories.

1. Saving Grace
2. Forsaking Hope
3. Keeping Faith
4. Wedding Violet
5. Christmas Charity
6. Loving Lily

Hearts in Hiding

Historical romantic suspense, very steamy often showing the darker aspects of Regency society, including the dependence and subjugation of women – and how, against the odds, they find their happy-ever-afters.

1. The Duchess and the Highwayman
2. The Bluestocking and the Rake
3. Duchess of Seduction
4. The Countess and the Cavalier

Scandalous: Three Daring Charades

Three sweet, yet intrigue-filled Regency historicals

Lady Sarah’s Redemption
Lady Olivia’s Butterfly
A Little Deception

You can connect with Beverley on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorBeverl...,
or through her website at: www.beverleyoakley.com

http://twitter.com/BeverleyOakley
https://www.facebook.com/beverley.eikli

Reviews

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming read of a young couple who fall in love in the most unlikely of places & want nothing more than to marry until Hugo loses all his money gambling & is banished to India to work for the family’s business for two years. Charity has only had one client & fears for her future when Hugo leaves but help comes from an unexpected quarter. I liked both Hugo & Charity who were both very innocent & naïve but they had to grow up quickly. It was also charming how one small incident changed their lives. I read this book in a sitting & thoroughly enjoyed it
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

[Lori D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dreams can change in an instant and that is what seemed to happen to Charity. Forced to come to Madam Chambon's brothel a couple of years ago or starve, she had been so lucky her first and only customer had been Hugo. They quickly feel in love and he had it all planned out how they would marry and stay together.
But fate, or rather a devious soul gets in the way and gets Hugo to gamble away his money. He is being forced to go to India to do work for his father's company as penance. What will Charity do? Become one of the "girls?"
A fast paced story with a few unexpected twist and turns that will quickly turning the pages. I really enjoyed this story!

[Dishari Sinha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love between Charity & Hugo is pure. But the book is better because of the side characters. Cyril's character is intriguing.

[Zena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Twenty-seven interesting, entertaining and fun stories all with happy ever after endings and with one common theme ... Its almost Christmas and time for romance.
I read stories by some of my most favorite authors and then was also introduced to some others for the first time. This is a nicely put-together box set and though it is not Christmastime, I would still recommend it as readable at any time of the year.
These are the stories in the boxset:
Hell's Wedding Bells, Annabelle Anders
Two Lady Scoundrels and a Duke, Tessa Candle
A Wicked Wedding, Laura Trentham
The Lady's Guide to Mistletoe and Mayham, Emmanuelle de Maupassant
The Russian Betrothal, Elsa Holland
Beautifully Reckless, Virginia Taylor
The Mistletoe Mistress, Maddison Michaels
Deeds not Words, Ashe Barker
Holly and the Beast, Annabel Joseph
The Winter Bride, Emma V. Leech
Mistletoe Kisses, Elise Marion
The Christmas Countess, K.J. Jackson
Mischief and Mistletoe, Stacy Reid
Kidnapped with the Knight, Emily Murdoch
The Russian Prince's Bride, Mariah Stone
Christmas Charity, Beverley Oakley
The Angel of an Astronomer, Linda Rae Sande
Wassail, Wagers and Weddings, S. Cinders
Highland Yule, Sky Purington
Marrying Miss Bright, Dayna Quince
Kiss Me, Macrae, Amy Sandas
Holly and Old Lace, Vanessa Brooks
Home for Christmas, Celeste Jones
A Spinster at the Highland Court, Celeste Barclay
The Holiday Hussy, Merry Farmer
December Debauchery, Em Brown
Wedded in Winter, Scarlett Scott

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will fate give or take away?
With the roll of a dice Charity's hope for happiness is gone and deep in her heart she knows she has no right to believe in the fairy tale not a girl in Madame Chambon’s House of Assignation, a brothel girl. Hugo is beside himself now he is being forced to go to India for at least 2 years leaving his love all alone. I have read all the tales in Beverley Oakley series about Madame Chambon's brothel and each one has been excellent. In this one, I felt for the two main characters so young so in love and now being forced to separate with so many questions left unanswered. I loved the twists in this book they weaved a beautiful story. This well-written gem is well worth the time you spend reading I highly recommend it.

[Anonymous 5 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've recently been introduced to Ms. Oakley's books and have truly enjoyed them thus far, so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to review this one. And it certainly did not disappoint! It's a captivating story of two people from completely different backgrounds falling in love and having to overcome the challenges that keep them apart. Ms. Oakley has done a beautiful job telling Charity and Hugo's story and describing the depth of their relationship and I found myself enchanted and unable to tear myself away until I was finished. This is a very sweet and charming story that lovers of Regency romance will not want to miss!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Linda J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I purchased this as part of a multi author bundle called ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS WEDDING

I am not a fan of stories of brothels. I would never purchase a story about this theme. Because this was in my bundle I read it begrudgingly. I must admit, I almost stopped reading several times, but then the author made it clear, this wasn't a normal story of lose women and I was hooked.

For a theme of brothel, you would assume filled with sex, but it isn't at all. The scene opens with them in bed, but nothing described.

We have several villains, who think only of themselves and not what their actions may cost the innocent.

This is a unique story of love that will not die no matter what is thrown at them. The H/h are an amazing couple, and I recommend this story. (ljb)

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an intriguing story with interesting characters. Hugo and Charity met at a brothel, where Charity had been tricked into going. They soon fell in love, and planned to marry when Hugo received his inheritance at age 25. But Hugo's father had a different plan for him, so he sent Hugo to India. Hugo and Charity still planned to marry, but they had to wait until he returned, in 2 years. Things did not go as planned for either of them, they were lied to, betrayed and manipulated. It's an engrossing story that started out predictable, but didn't go the way I thought it would. I really enjoyed reading it.

[Pami Simmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect Ending for this Give book group

This story was the perfect ending to this series. Each book I started and finished the stay reading. Everyone should enjoy these stories. Thank you for each enjoyable evening's thru early morning reading

[Jamie Bee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting Mistress/Protector Relationship that Goes Sideways

The beginning of this book starts with the tail end of a racy scene, and given that this book is about the relationship between a woman in a brothel and her gentleman protector, you might be given to think that all the book would be a bit saucy. But it truly is not. Rather, this unlikely kind-hearted pair has actually fallen in love over the course of their 2-year relationship, but they are about to be tried in the worst way as forces seek to separate them for their own nefarious purposes.

I found the first part of this book so surprising in the depth of this couple's relationship. It really was sweet, and the gentleman is the perfect beta hero Most of the time when a mistress or an exclusive prostitute is the heroine, the book and relationship can be a bit tawdry. But these are actually two very kind and relatively innocent souls who just happened to find each other in an unlikely circumstance. I quite enjoyed this aspect of the book. I kept hoping that their separation wouldn't happen and that those who would thwart them would get their due. Once they are separated, though, things got a little weird. What happened in the later part of the book with her just seemed wildly different from what happened before, so much so that it felt like two different books to me. I found a hero surprising, too, at the end when he had more backbone than I would have thought. (Good for him, though!) I felt like the author left too much open at the end of the book. I really would have loved to have known what ultimately happened with the father and the uncle. After all the build-up both before their separation and after, I felt like the ending was too abrupt. They deserved, and perhaps the reader did, too, a victory lap. As such, I find myself torn about this book. It has good points and bad points.

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Young love. This was a very sweet story of a young man who falls in love with a woman in a brothel (both are virgins). His family wants to keep them apart and does for a time but love awaits them in the end. The story is light and fluffy, just what is needed sometimes.

I received a complimentary copy from Booksprout.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book five in the Fair Cyprians of London series a well written Regency story that kept me turning pages. Reluctant courtesan, Charity and poet and artist, Hugo fall in love,but forces will keep them apart. There is drama, twists, turns, evil, villains, and romance. I recommend this book. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rebecca W. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never really clicked with Charity. She is incredibly naive, impressionable, and helpless, especially after living in a brothel for years. It doesn't take much effort to talk her into doing anything. She never grows a backbone through the entire novella, and that was a letdown.

[Stephen Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful continuation of the series

This is another wonderfully thought out addition to continue a great series. This plot which is a bit spicy in the beginning, follows the trials that Charity and Hugo have to navigate before achieving their goals.

[Eleni Konstantine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Lisa Brumley]

DNF somewhere in Chapter 6. I didn't care for Hugo or Charity. They both seemed like they were relying on everyone else to handle their problem.

[Aj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely heartfelt romance, Hugo and Charity are compassionate and genuine characters, I was drawn into their story and their deserving reunion and happily ever after.