The Lady's Guide to Mistletoe and Mayhem

The Lady's Guide #1

by Emmanuelle de Maupassant

On the run from an unwanted marriage, Ursula assumes the identity of an etiquette teacher and heads to a remote Scottish castle or the Yuletide season, but her 'young charge' turns out to be more than she bargained for.

Texan rancher Rye Dalreagh, the long lost Dunrannoch heir, has been thrown in the deep end. During what should be the merriest of seasons, he must choose a bride, navigate an ancient curse, avoid being murdered, and try not to fall in love with his manners tutor.

Meanwhile, amidst the mayhem, a cold-blooded killer stalks the corridors of Castle Dunrannoch... and nothing is going to stand in their way.

Let the mayhem begin!

Previously published in the Once Upon a Christmas Wedding anthology

Genres: Christmas, Historical Romance, Romance, Historical Fiction, Historical, Audiobook

162 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 13, 2019

About the author

Emmanuelle lives in a medieval tower house in the Highlands, with her husband and Ernie McFloof (connoisseur of bacon treats and squeaky toys).

She writes historical romance filled with adventure, suspense, and red-hot passion.

Visit her website - www.emmanuelledemaupassant.com - to find a FREE story to download, and to sign up for her newsletter (monthly gossip, giveaways and goodies).


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Emmanuelle lebt mit ihrem Mann (Hersteller von Tee und Obstkuchen) und ihrer Schnüffelnase, Ernie, auch bekannt als ihr liebstes Fellknäuel und Liebhaber von quietschenden Spielzeugen und Schinken.

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Emmanuelle de Maupassant vive con il marito e ama i suoi fagottini pelosi a quattro zampe (che sono dei grandi intenditori di giocattoli da mordere e snack al bacon).

Iscriviti alla newsletter di Emmanuelle per ricevere direttamente nella tua casella di posta notizie in anteprima sulle nuove uscite, ricevere degli omaggi, e per dare un’occhiata dietro le quinte.

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Emmanuelle de Maupassant vive con su esposo y ama las mascotas peludas de la variedad de cuatro patas (expertos en juguetes ruidosos y golosinas de tocino).

Regístrate en el boletín de Emmanuelle, para ver los nuevos lanzamientos, obsequios y las historias detrás de escena, entregados directamente a tu bandeja de entrada.

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L'auteure publie (des romances historiques) sous trois noms de plume : Annabelle Quinn, Anna Quinn et Emmanuelle de Maupassant.

Elle vit avec son mari et a un sérieux penchant pour les terriers à poils longs (amateurs de jouets qui font pouêt-pouêt et de gourmandises au bacon).

=> https://emmanuelledemaupassant.com/vo...

Reviews

[QuinnReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Assumed Identity

3.5 stars - this starts with murder and ends with madness. I did like it,I just didn't love it. It did hold my attention, but I only liked the main characters.

I did like that Rye grew up on a ranch in Texas and Ursula was trying to escape the future mapped out by her guardian (who was underhanded and needed a good old smackdown). I appreciate that Ursula took advantage of a situation, which placed her in Rye's path, quite literally.

The mystery that's afoot takes some surprising twists. It's interesting, that's certain!

I received an author's copy of The Lady's Guide to Love audio book collection, which includes this title. The narrator is Gareth J Davies. I like listening to him and I really like the accents.

Story: 3.5 stars
Narration: 4 stars
Listening Speed: 1.6x

[Elodie’s Reading Corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lady’s Guide to Mistletoe and May
Emmanuelle de Maupassant
https://www.facebook.com/erotiquemuse/
Release date 09/11/2020
Publisher Hot Historical Romance

𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗯

She's on the run. He's looking for a place to call home.
On the run from an unwanted marriage, Ursula assumes the identity of an etiquette teacher and heads to a remote Scottish castle for the Yuletide season, but her 'young charge' turns out to be more than she bargained for.
Texan rancher Rye Dalreagh, the long lost Dunrannoch heir, has been thrown in the deep end. During what should be the merriest of seasons, he must choose a bride, navigate an ancient curse, avoid being murdered, and try not to fall in love with his manners tutor.

Let the mayhem begin!

'The Lady's Guide to Mistletoe and Mayhem' is a light-hearted Christmas historical romance with a cozy mystery to solve.

𝗠𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄

Is playing by the rules, and doing its duty the right thing when love knocks at the door ...

So here it is, I am finally reading Mrs Emmanuelle de Maupassant’s work!
And this story does not feel like a novella, it is so dense, I had the feeling to read a full length novel.

While it began as a gothic novel with its bevy of deaths, the story has a light in itself with the two cheerful heroes and the many animals around them.
Why is it so difficult to convey the sentiments a good read brings when I have no problem to point what is wrong others.
I just loved the whole story from the slow setting, with the old curse, to the introduction of the main characters and finally the full plot when they meet, it was a long ride in time and distance.
This was a tale packed with everything to lift your mood, nice characters, funny moments, fanning scenes, heroic actions and so on...
Ursula is a strong woman sets on following her own path and when things do not turn as she expected, she does not bend, she finds an other way.
Rye is such a sweetheart, ready to try to please everyone, until he wonders if he must too set aside his own happiness in the process. He is kind and fun, when he has every right to feel upset having left everything behind.
Together, they make a lovely team taking care of those who can’t.
To summarize, I adored this story.
5 stars

I read it in the once Upon a Christmas Wedding bundle, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

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[Siobhan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Lady’s Guide to Mistletoe and Mayhem by Emmanuelle de Maupassant is the first story in the Lady’s Guide series and works perfectly fine as a standalone read. This story had me conflicted, and I was unsure how I felt about it. I wasn’t crazy about it at the start, as we bounced around quite a bit. Once things were moving, I was hooked. The end, however, was far too easy and quite a lot of details were wrapped up off page. Although there were some three-star moments, I couldn’t quite bring myself to round this one up.

All in all, this had some decent moments, but it failed to win me over in the end. It was okay for quick reading, though.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up.

When her uncle tries to force her into an unwanted marriage and steal her inheritance, Ursula flees to the Highlands, assuming the identity of a governess bound for a remote castle. She’s surprised, however, when the boy she expects to be teaching turns out to be a grown, and very handsome, man.

Rye Dalreagh was born and raised in Texas but has come to Scotland to fulfill his father’s dying wish by taking his place as the heir to Dunrannoch and future earl. During the Yuletide festivities he is expected to choose a bride, but his affections are rapidly growing for his tutor. In addition to navigating his way around his family’s preferences, he must also avoid succumbing to a ghastly accident like the ones that killed his cousins before him.

I enjoyed the fast pace of this story, and the narrator did a good job of making it come to life. The bit of mystery thrown in was a nice touch and the relationship development between Rye and Ursula felt believable, though the ending was a bit rushed, and she waited rather a long time to be truthful about who she was. Nonetheless, this was an entertaining story, and the audio was an excellent companion for an afternoon of household chores.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspo...

[Space Cowgirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

All Roads Lead Home🏰💘.
ADULT Late Victorian and Edwardian Era Romance💕 and Murder💀 Mystery.
So what are A few white lies?.... when the cover-up is even worse?
Ursula💃💋, the daughter of a late Viscount, is being forced into an unwanted marriage👰 while her uncle tries to control and steal her inheritance, too. At almost twenty five, she leaves her home, hoping to hide out until her birthday, when she gets some of her money 💰.
She decides a trip to Scotland🏰 to see her finishing school friend will be the perfect way to disappear for a while.

Everything goes awry when she impulsively assumes the identity of a governess traveling to Dunrannoch castle 🏰.

ARC Provided by Booksprout 🌱, as part of the anthology "Twelve Lords For Christmas"
Opinions expressed here are entirely my own fault!

[Sonia N. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this author ❤️ She writes The Lady’s Guide series and each one is fun romance with some heat.
I enjoyed Ursula’s story that brought her to tutor Rye a Texas Rancher in a very new position.
This is a mystery romance and fast paced and the storyline and characters were very well written. I have read almost all of her books and I have loved them all. A must read!

I was given an Advanced Readers Copy by the author through BookFunnel for an honest review.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

The lady’s guide to mistletoe and mayhem 4*
Ursula had an unusual childhood, in that she often went to her father’s factory and studied the bookkeeping. However her uncle had very different views on a woman’s place. She escapes to go to her friend, who lives in Scotland. Rye has come to Scotland to accept his inheritance as the Earl’s heir. He is a Texan and is much more relaxed about things than his relatives. There are a number of strange happenings at the castle and an attraction between Rye and Ursula develops but Rye is destined to marry one of his cousins. Rye does have a strong sense of duty but will he let this guide him? This is a mystery concerning the deaths of the previous heirs. This was an entertaining read. I received a copy via Booksprout and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[C Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

This book held quite an adventure. I like how fast-paced it was and while there was drama, the story didn’t dwell on that.

Ursula is one of those women with a mind of her own and when her father died, her uncle took over and sold the business she was about to inherit since she has not come of age. The reason why I did not give this a solid 5 stars is I wanted to know about what happens next. A taste or preview, so to speak, of their future and when she inherits.

Rye came all the way from Texas out of a sense of duty. He was “wild” and needed some taming and with a little bit of kismet, he met Ursula whose duty it was to educate him on the ways of nobility.

There’s mystery, a stroll around Rannoch Moor, an inevitable romance, funny moments, and a Christmas wedding.

[Carole Burant · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is quite the entertaining story and it contains a bit of everything....humour, romance, mystery, danger and a cast of characters that you will not soon forget! Not only do we have a heroine who is on the run, she also takes on the identity of a woman who'd died on the train she was on and we also have a Texan rancher who has come to Scotland to take his place as the Dunrannoch heir. If that isn't enough mayhem, there's also a curse going on at the castle!!

Being a novella, there isn't time to savour a long romance between Ursula and Rye so it's pretty much instant love but I don't mind that since I do believe in love at first sight:) I really enjoy this author's way of writing, you always know you're going to get an exciting story!

I received an ARC of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Mephala · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Read as part of free anthology Mistletoe, Mulled Wine, and Maybe a Duke)

This one was light and entertaining novella.

The story had a little rough start – I admit it didn’t always fully capture my attention – but, somewhere in the middle, the spark between the main couple finally started to shine.

What definitely kept me reading was Rye, who was somewhat of a unique hero – an American rancher send to Scottish Highlands to take over his ancestral estate.

I liked the idea of a hero thrown into a foreign for him environment and expected to just immediately know how to act and behave.

The chemistry between him and Ursula was rather sparse, and the whole plot seemed to be rather rushed. I liked small supernatural elements woven into the story, as well as how they were (partially) explained.

3/5 stars

[Lisa C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful story of Rye Dalreagh, a Texas rancher and Lady Ursula Arrington. Unexpectedly inheriting a Scottish Lairdship, complete with castle, Rye is out of his element but determined to make a success of his new life. Ursula, suffocating under her Uncle's rules, runs away to visit a friend in Scotland. Impersonating a tutor sent to help Rye learn his new role, the two are thrust together. Loved these characters, Rye, a gentleman to his core and Ursula, a strong, determined woman. Also enjoyed the storyline. Highly recommend.

[Johanna Bixby · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lady’s Guide to Mistletoe and Mayhem was a darling read! The pace was quick and the story full of intrigue, humor and a splash of mystery. I just adored both H and the h, the characters both quick witted and fun and their attraction quite apparent from the get go. What a fun read!

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

[Eugenea Pollock · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a Texan cowboy who is the descendant of an aristocratic Scottish emigre’ turns up to fulfill his role as the Earl of Dunrannoch, a comedy of errors and misunderstandings ensues. Can he be transformed, polished, reclaimed, “gentrified”? Perhaps in the hands of the right etiquette expert? Or will she be the one transformed? Add a dash of murder along the way.

[Dorel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the 4th book I read by Emmanuelle De Maupassant. This story 📖 started off good but as I kept reading I lost interest.

[Alvina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tags: prodigal relative returns, hidden identity, scotland

Charming story but not suited for the novella format. There was too much that the author was trying to pack in, ultimately resulting in clunky flow and weird time skips. Still, the hero and heroine were well written and had such great individuality.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the run from an unwanted marriage, Ursula assumes the identity of an etiquette teacher and heads to a remote Scottish castle for the Yuletide season, but her 'young charge' turns out to be more than she bargained for. Texan rancher Rye Dalreagh, the long lost Dunrannoch heir, has been thrown in the deep end. During what should be the merriest of seasons, he must choose a bride, navigate an ancient curse, avoid being murdered, and try not to fall in love with his manners tutor.
Meanwhile, amidst the mayhem, a cold-blooded killer stalks the corridors of Castle Dunrannoch... and nothing is going to stand in their way.
A well written easy to read novella, which I read in a sitting. I love the Lady’s Guide books all of them are highly entertaining, this one has a bit of a gothic feel. I loved the mystery & of course the romance, I loved both Rye & Ursula, their attraction sizzled. I was sorry to finish it & wish it had been longer
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rye and Ursula could not be more unlike each other. Rye is a Texan who must learn to be a proper English lord and Ursula is a young woman who finds herself poor and destitute when her family loses their fortune and relatives want to marry her off to someone with money. Women in the Regency Era had so little power and control over their own lives but Ursula takes the chance to flee. When she poses as a governess to help a surprising adult pupil learn how to be a nobleman, of course things get tangled. I love Rye as the independent, strong Texan who finds himself out of his element and he relies on Ursula to help him navigate through the tangled web he encounters. There is intrigue, calculating characters, attempted murder and even ghosts in the castle! And soon sparks fly between Ursula, who is afraid of being discovered as a fraud, and Rye. There are some steamy encounters here and it all comes to a good end. I loved this short novel!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful romp! This book is fun and romantic with just the right amount of suspense. My only complaint, and the reason I gave it four stars instead of five, is that the issue between Ursula and her uncle isn’t not resolved within the course of the story.

[Laura Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Starts well then downhill

Rye is the male character name that is the only drawback about him, he's delightful sadly the story has issues.

[AmazingJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Wonderful Story with laughter & some sadness but kept you intrigued as to what was next to come.

Rye & Ursula were wonderful characters.

[Daniela Colaiacomo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ursula Fairbury, orfana di madre, è stata cresciuta dall'adorato padre - di nobili origini ma privo dei mezzi e delle prospettive del fratello Cedric, legittimo erede e visconte di Arrington -, che, con il matrimonio, è diventato comproprietario della 𝙁𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘽𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙜𝙚, una fabbrica di calzature molto apprezzata e soprattutto redditizia.
Fin da bambina Ursula è attratta dall'attività paterna, disprezzata dalla famiglia perché fatiche da proletario e volgare.

𝙇’𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙩à 𝙚𝙧𝙖 𝙣𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙖 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙡𝙞𝙖 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙖 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙧𝙚 𝙙𝙖 𝙥𝙞ù 𝙙𝙞 𝙙𝙪𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙞, 𝙚 𝙐𝙧𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙖 𝙣𝙤𝙣 𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙞𝙫𝙖 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙝é 𝙞𝙡 𝙛𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙞 𝙜𝙪𝙖𝙙𝙖𝙜𝙣𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙞 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙤 𝙦𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙘𝙤𝙨𝙖 𝙙𝙞 𝙘𝙤𝙨ì 𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙣 𝙙𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚 𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙞 𝙗𝙪𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙘𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙤. 𝙀 𝙞𝙣𝙤𝙡𝙩𝙧𝙚, 𝙣𝙤𝙣 𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙤 𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙚𝙜𝙡𝙞 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙞 𝙦𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙪𝙣𝙦𝙪𝙚! 𝙇𝙖 𝙍𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙖 𝙞𝙣 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙖 𝙪𝙣𝙖 𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙩𝙖 𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙫𝙖 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙖 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙤 𝙙𝙚𝙡 𝙥𝙖𝙙𝙧𝙚 𝙙𝙞 𝙐𝙧𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙖 𝙚 𝙡’𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙫𝙖 𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙯𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙯𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙖 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙡𝙞𝙖 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙚 𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙡 𝙨𝙪𝙤 𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙙𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙤 𝙍𝙚𝙜𝙜𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙖 𝘾𝙖𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙤.
𝙂𝙡𝙞 𝙖𝙙𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙞 𝙨𝙞 𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙤 𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙥𝙞ù 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙚.
𝙊𝙡𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙪𝙩𝙩𝙤, 𝙣𝙤𝙣 𝙘’𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙤 𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙧𝙞 𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙘𝙝𝙞 𝙣𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙖 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙡𝙞𝙖 𝙁𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙮 𝙘𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙫𝙧𝙚𝙗𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙤 𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙪𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙞 𝙡’𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙩à, 𝙥𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙝é 𝙡𝙖 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙫𝙖 𝙛𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞 𝙤 𝙯𝙞𝙞, 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙞ò 𝙘𝙤𝙨’𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙧𝙤 𝙨𝙞 𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙫𝙖 𝙛𝙖𝙧𝙚? 𝙀 𝙞𝙡 𝙥𝙖𝙙𝙧𝙚 𝙙𝙞 𝙐𝙧𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙖 𝙨𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙫𝙖 𝙢𝙤𝙡𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙫𝙤 𝙣𝙚𝙡 𝙨𝙪𝙤 𝙡𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧𝙤.

Quando improvvisamente il padre muore, a casa dello zio Cedric, dove si è trasferita per sua insistenza, Ursula trascorre le giornate in insulse attività e purtroppo scopre di essere sotto la sua tutela fino al compimento dei venticinque anni: la casa dove ha vissuto è stata venduta e l'arrogante visconte vuole imporle il matrimonio con il cugino Eustace.
Ursula, cresciuta dal padre forte e indipendente, oltre che affidabile erede della 𝙁𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘽𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙜𝙚, non è interessata al matrimonio.

𝙎𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙞 𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙖𝙩𝙤 𝙀𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙚, 𝙤 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙪𝙣𝙦𝙪𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙧𝙤, 𝙡𝙚 𝙖𝙫𝙧𝙚𝙗𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙤 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙢𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙤 𝙙𝙞 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙦𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙘𝙤𝙨𝙖 𝙙𝙞 𝙨𝙪𝙤? 𝙊 𝙨𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙗𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙡𝙤 𝙯𝙞𝙤 𝘾𝙚𝙙𝙧𝙞𝙘 𝙚 𝙖𝙫𝙧𝙚𝙗𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙤 𝙖𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙡 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙞 𝙪𝙣𝙖 𝙙𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙖 𝙚𝙧𝙖 𝙩𝙧𝙖 𝙡𝙚 𝙢𝙪𝙧𝙖 𝙙𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙝𝙚 𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙪𝙣’𝙤𝙘𝙘𝙪𝙥𝙖𝙯𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙖𝙡 𝙙𝙞 𝙛𝙪𝙤𝙧𝙞 𝙙𝙞 𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚 𝙚𝙧𝙖 𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙜𝙖𝙧𝙚?
𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙫𝙧𝙚𝙗𝙗𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙪𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙡𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙞 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙧𝙞 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞 𝙨𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙪𝙩𝙩𝙤 𝙞𝙡 𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙤 𝙛𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙖 𝙤𝙗𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙖𝙩𝙖 𝙖 𝙤𝙗𝙗𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙡 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙤?
𝙁𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘽𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙜𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙫𝙖 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙡 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙤 𝙙𝙚𝙜𝙡𝙞 𝙪𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙞; 𝙞𝙡 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙤 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙚 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙩à 𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙡 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙞𝙤, 𝙙𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙞 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙤 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙞 𝙚 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙤 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙨𝙚. 𝙐𝙧𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙖 𝙣𝙤𝙣 𝙨𝙞 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙖 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙖 𝙖 𝙪𝙣𝙖 𝙫𝙞𝙩𝙖 𝙘𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙧𝙤 𝙘𝙝𝙚 𝙪𝙣 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙤 𝙙𝙞 𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙞 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙞, 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞 𝙙𝙖 𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙚 𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙚.

Per sfuggire alle pretese dello zio e arrivare al venticinquesimo compleanno che, anche se impoverita dallo zio, la rende libera, Ursula coraggiosamente affronta l'ignoto e abbandona Arrington Hall con l'intento di raggiungere Daphne, sua grande amica sin dalla frequentazione della 𝙑𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙤𝙧𝙞 𝘼𝙘𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙢𝙮, l'istituto dove ha imparato le buone maniere.
La frettolosa e soprattutto clandestina partenza la porta sul 𝙏𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙤 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙤 𝙃𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘾𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙙𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙊𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙎𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙢 senza poter avvisare l'amica del suo arrivo e una serie di circostanze la induce ad assumere l'identità di Urania Abernathy, un'anziana signora diretta al Castello di Dunrannoch dove dovrà occuparsi dell'educazione di Rye Dalreagh, nipote del Conte, suo signore.
Rye Dalreagh vive con il padre malato Rory al Santa Maria Ranch, vicino a San Antonio, in Texas; ormai prossimo alla morte, Rory chiede al figlio di tornare in Scozia e assumere il titolo che gli spetta.
L'incontro tra Ursula e Rye avviene in circostanze drammatiche e pericolose e dà inizio a una forte attrazione, difficile da contenere.
Tra leggende, cornamuse, un cugino galante, cadute rovinose e pericoli, nel castello, dove la morte aleggia e qualcuno agisce nell'oscurità, il legame dei due protagonisti si rafforza; ma la bugia con la quale Ursula si è presentata alla famiglia Dalreagh è un ostacolo insuperabile.
Con un linguaggio semplice e privo di sbavature, Emmanuelle de Maupassant racconta la sua storia, intrigante e tinta di giallo. La passione traspare mentre l'utilizzo de 𝙄𝙡 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙖 𝙡𝙖𝙙𝙮 per tutte le cose utili è originale, pertinente e illuminante e dà al racconto una nota singolare.

𝘽𝙧𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙖 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙦𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙘𝙤𝙨𝙖 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙯𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙞 𝙧𝙖𝙯𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙞. 𝙎𝙞 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙖 𝙙𝙞 𝙪𝙣𝙖 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙖 𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙗𝙞𝙖 𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙣 𝙥𝙪ò 𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙪𝙩𝙖 𝙖 𝙗𝙖𝙙𝙖. 𝙐𝙣 𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙤 𝙘𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙡 𝙨𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙪𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙖 𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙞ò 𝙘𝙝𝙚 è 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙞𝙗𝙞𝙩𝙤. 𝙐𝙣’𝙤𝙨𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙩à 𝙘𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙖 𝙥𝙞ù 𝙨𝙚𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚 𝙦𝙪𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙤 𝙡𝙖 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙖 𝙞𝙣 𝙜𝙞𝙤𝙘𝙤 è 𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙖. 𝘽𝙧𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙖 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙙���𝙧𝙚 𝙨é 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞, 𝙢𝙖 𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙤 𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙤 𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙦𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙘𝙤𝙨𝙖: 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙖 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙚 𝙙𝙞 𝙣𝙤𝙞 𝙘𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙖 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙞 𝙡𝙖 𝙫𝙞𝙩𝙖 𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙖. 𝙎𝙚𝙣𝙯𝙖 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙚, 𝙣𝙤𝙞 𝙘𝙤𝙨𝙖 𝙨𝙞𝙖𝙢𝙤?
“𝙏𝙪𝙩𝙩𝙚 𝙡𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣 𝙢𝙤𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙯𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙚”, 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙖 𝙡’𝙖𝙙𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙤, “𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙖 𝙡𝙖 𝙢𝙤𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙯𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙚”. 𝙑𝙞 è 𝙪𝙣 𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙤 𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙖 𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙯𝙯𝙖 𝙚 𝙞𝙡 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙤 ��𝙢𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙤. 𝙎𝙤𝙡𝙤, 𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙜𝙡𝙞 𝙗𝙚𝙣𝙚 𝙡’𝙤𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙪𝙚 𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙖 𝙘𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙖𝙢𝙢𝙚 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙞 𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙤𝙣𝙤 𝙖 𝙗𝙧𝙪𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙞ù 𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚.

Nel complesso il libro di Emmanuelle de Maupassant è piacevole e distensivo, adatto a trascorrere qualche ora di puro svago.

[Xenia]

lesenswerte Highlandgeschichte mit liebenswerten Figuren und einem wundervollen Setting

Ursula flüchtet vor ihrer Verwandtschaft, die sie in eine unerwünschte Ehe zwingen wollen. Auf der Flucht schlüpft sie notgedrungen in eine andere Rolle und darf nun als Gouvernante auf einer schottischen Burg arbeiten. Doch leichter gesagt als getan, denn ihr Schützling ist alles andere als ein kleiner Knirps.

Rye Dalreagh ist ein texanischer Rancher und erfährt von seinem, im Sterben liegenden Vater, dass er der letzte Erbe eines schottischen Adeltitels ist. Auf dessen Wunsch hin reist er nach Dunrannoch. Dort erwartet ihn eine Verwandtschaft, die ihn verheiraten möchte, ein Fluch, der auf den Männern seiner Familie liegt und eine Benimmlehrerin, die seine Gefühle in Wallung bringt.

Wird es in den verschneiten, eisigen Highlands zu einem HappyEnd kommen?

***

Beim Prolog starten wir direkt in der Kindheit von Ursula und erhaschen einen kurzen Einblick darauf, wie sie sich ihre Zukunft vorstellt. Bereits als Kind kommt sie selbstbewusst, mutig und taff daher. Was sich so weiterzieht, denn sie weiss, was sie will. Mit ihrem Namen hatte ich zwar anfangs ein wenig Mühe, er erschien mir irgendwie nicht passend, doch habe ich mich schnell an den Klang gewöhnt.

Rye ist, wie Ursula, direkt von Beginn an sympathisch, sehr charmant und zuvorkommend. Die Dialoge bzw Szenen im Allgemeinen zwischen den Beiden haben mir besonders gut gefallen, witzig und gefühlvoll. Recht schnell knistert es zwischen ihnen und es ist mir eine Freude gewesen, diese Reise zueinander mitzuerleben. Es sind beides Figuren, die sich Regeln zu unterwerfen haben, doch kämpfen sie für das, was sie wirklich wollen. Und wenn es mal kompliziert wird, fragen sie, anstelle in ein kindisches Hin und Her zu verfallen, verhalten sich erwachsen, reflektieren und dramatisieren nicht alles über. Das hat mir sehr gut gefallen.

Das Buch beginnt nach dem Prolog mystisch, direkt mit einem Geheimnis (unaufgeklärte Mordfälle), welches sich durchs Buch zieht und immer mal wieder Erwähnung findet, bis es am Schluss aufgeklärt wird. Diese Nebenhandlung hat Nervenkitzel mit sich gebracht, obwohl die Liebesgeschichte durchaus auch für sich hätte alleine stehen können, da die Figuren mir einfach ans Herz gewachsen sind - doch finde ich es gut, dass die Autorin dieses Unheimliche, Geheimnisvolle mit eingewoben hat, um sich von anderen Romanzen abzuheben.

Der Schreibstil ist bildgewaltig, lässt die Umgebung zum Leben erwachen. Ich konnte eintauchen, den Alltag vergessen und die Highlands geniessen. Auch hat es sich leicht und flüssig lesen lassen, sehr angenehm.


Fazit:
Eine bezaubernde Kurzgeschichte, die ich sehr gerne gelesen habe und die mich in ihrer Kürze dennoch überzeugen konnte. Vor allem weist sie eine gewisse Figuren- und Handlungstiefe auf, was mir meist bei Kurzgeschichten fehlt, doch die Autorin hat Kürze und Tiefgang wunderbar miteinander vereint. Mir hat nichts gefehlt – Spannung, traumhaftes Liebespaar, das absolut miteinander harmoniert hat, Gefühle und Nervenkitzel.
Von mir eine klare Leseempfehlung.



Vielen Dank an die Autorin Emmanuelle de Maupassant für das Rezensionsexemplar, was meine Meinung nicht beeinflusst.

[Valeria De Luca · Rating 3 out of 5]

📖𝑅𝑒𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑒:📘👒 𝑀𝑎𝑛𝑢𝑎𝑙𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑎 𝐿𝑎𝑑𝑦: 𝐶𝑎𝑜𝑠 𝑠𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑜 𝑖𝑙 𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑜🎄⛄ 𝑑𝑖 𝐸𝑚𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑢𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑒 𝐷𝑒 𝑃𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑛𝑡🎀

☠️☠️☠️,5 (3,5☠️)

𝐵𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑎 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑙𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑎 𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑧𝑎 𝑙𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑡𝑖 𝑟𝑎𝑧𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑖. 𝑆𝑖 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑎 𝑑𝑖 𝑢𝑛𝑎 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑎 𝑐𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑏𝑖𝑎 𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑐ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑛 𝑝𝑢𝑜̀ 𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑢𝑡𝑎 𝑎 𝑏𝑎𝑑𝑎. 𝑈𝑛 𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑜 𝑐ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑙 𝑠𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑢𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑎 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑖𝑜̀ 𝑐ℎ𝑒 𝑒̀ 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑖𝑏𝑖𝑡𝑜. 𝑈𝑛'𝑜𝑠𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑎́ 𝑐ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑎 𝑝𝑖𝑢̀ 𝑠𝑒𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑒 𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑜 𝑙𝑎 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑎 𝑖𝑛 𝑔𝑖𝑜𝑐𝑜 𝑒̀ 𝑎𝑙𝑡𝑎. 𝐵𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑎 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑠𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖, 𝑚𝑎 𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑜 𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑜 𝑡𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑜 𝑎𝑛𝑐ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑙𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑎: 𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑎 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑒 𝑑𝑖 𝑛𝑜𝑖 𝑐ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑎 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑎 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑠𝑖 𝑙𝑎 𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑎 𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑣𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑎. 𝑆𝑒𝑛𝑧𝑎 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑒, 𝑛𝑜𝑖 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑎 𝑠𝑖𝑎𝑚𝑜?
❄️🎀❄️
Per sfuggire a un matrimonio indesiderato, Ursula ruba l’identità di un’insegnante di galateo e si reca in un remoto castello scozzese per trascorrere il periodo natalizio; ma il “bambino” che le viene affidato si rivela essere decisamente più di quanto si fosse aspettata.
🎀🎄🎀
Premetto che i primi capitoli mi hanno parecchio disorientata, non riuscivo a comprendere, ma ho deciso ugualmente di proseguire. Una volta entrata nell'ingranaggio della scrittura di questa autrice, ho apprezzato questa storia natalizia, romantica e con del mistero. Una lettura piacevole e spensierata.
Ho amato tantissimo la citazione riportata in alto.
Ursula non intende sposare un uomo che non ha scelto di sua spontaneità nella sua vita. Così, un bel giorno, prende un treno per recarsi da un'amica, ma tutto cambierà. La donna che ha di fronte è un'insegnante anziana di galateo. Affrontano il viaggio parlando, ma quando arriva alla fermata della donna, Ursula, si rende conto che è morta. Presa da un'idea geniale, decide di prendere la sua borsa e farsi passare per quella donna, rubandole l'identità. Arrivata al castello, scoprirà che il ragazzo che dovrà prendere insegnamenti da lei, è Rye, un mandriano, che deve imparare le buone maniere perché successore del castello.
Lei con il tempo, si accorgerà di provare qualcosa per lui, ma l'uomo è destinato a una delle cinque cugine, non potrà mai scegliere lei. In più incombe una maledizione o almeno così si narra, fatto sta che qualcuno trama alle spalle di Rye, qualcuno che non vuole che lui diventi il padrone del castello, tanto da volerlo morto.
Tra punzecchiate, battiti di cuore, amori 'quasi impossibili' e storie misteriose, si lascia leggere la storia senza troppe pretese. Mi è piaciuto molto il personaggio di Ursula, parliamo di una ragazza del 1887, forte, coraggiosa, che sa il fatto suo e sa sapersi valere. Rye non è riuscito a entrare nel mio cuore. L'ho trovato fin da subito 'stupidotto', poi ho pensato che la sua vita l'ha sempre passata con le sue mucche, da solo, isolato dal mondo e forse era dovuto a ciò il suo comportamento. Di certo, Ursula, porterà una sferzata di aria nuova nella sua vita, un uragano in grado di travolgerlo dall'inizio alla fine.
Consiglio questo libro per passare una serata o un pomeriggio in piena tranquillità, ideale per questo periodo natalizio.

[Tina Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a shorter than full length novel which made it perfect for an afternoon red, curled up in my chair.
This is the story of an independently minded heiress trying to escape an unwanted marriage arranged by her uncle who is trying to steal her fortune. And a young man, raise in America, who is surprised to find out he is an heir. He is trying to do the right thing by returning to Scotland and marrying and fulfilling his obligations to the estate and tenants. They meet in a fun way, whereby the heiress takes on the identity of a companion and accidentally gets run off a walking path by the heir. They spend a delightful night sheltering in a bothy, although there is clearly an attraction they do not act on it. The heir does not admit his real identity to the heiress and the h continues to pretend she is the hired companion.
Of course all is discovered in the end. The journey of their discovery is cloaked in suspense and sexual tension. There is one detailed, well written sex scene where the hero takes her virginity. Ultimately he discovers he loves her desperately and cannot marry one of his cousins, he must have her, the companion. She thinks he is proposing only because he fears she is pregnant. A misunderstanding that fortunately is cleared up during a time of danger.
I’m actually not entirely sure he found out she was an heiress until after they were engaged. So that’s a bit of a loose end.
I enjoyed this gentle tale of growing attraction and love. There is a mystery which is solved but only after real danger to both the H and h.
The slow drawl and kindly ways of the H are very engaging. Who wouldn’t want a handsome, kind, loving man for their own? The smart, feisty and beautiful heroine is also an engaging character so that the reader really wants them to be together. I keep crossing my fingers they would end up together somehow.
The story has a bit of a Cinderella vibe to it, which was a fun little extra bonus.
I liked the added mystery and suspense, it kept me reading right to the end.
I also liked that the H was from America, it made the story a bit different from all the HR books.
I received an ARC from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review with my honest opinion.

[Jamie Bee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rocky Beginning, But Improved

I have read this author's books for a while now, and I've come to expect the unexpected when I open one up. I find it that sometimes I like her books, but others are a little too outlandish for me. This one had an odd start, and I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about it for quite a while. The author starts with three different extended looks at the characters in the story without tying it all together for a while (or even giving hints to how it will)... for so long that I actually found it frustrating. The book starts with what we find out later is a look at the heroine's life as a young girl. The story is then brought forward in time to the historical now to a father and son in America as the older man is preparing to send his son back to England to claim the family title after the mysterious deaths of not one, but two heirs. We then see the heroine's current life, which is not going well. Honestly, I think the evil guardian uncle is WAY overdone in historical romance, and this one was certainly over the top. She only has weeks until she can claim her inheritance, so she takes off for the wilds of Scotland for a visit to her friend, hoping to simply cool her heels until that time. But twists and turns take her on another route, where she then ends up guiding the Texas-born hero through the intricacies of being a lord in Britain. He so wants to live up to his family's expectations and will—sometimes he comes across as a little weak, actually. Will he have the courage to stand up for and get the woman he has come to love? This book is a bit of a crazy ride at times, but if you don't mind your historical fiction being that way, simply set your expectations to zero and follow the twists and turns of a plot. If you can do so, you may enjoy this book as much as I ended up doing.

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

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

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lady's Guide to Mistletoe and Murder by Emmanuelle de Maupassant is a charming little tale about an heiress with a greedy uncle who discovers he is robbing her blind and intends to further force his will upon her. As she has only a couple of weeks until she reaches her majority, she determines to get away from him so he can do her no more harm. On the train she meets a charming only lady who is on her way to teach a viscount some manners and how to behave in society. After sharing a lovely time, Ursula discovers Miss Abernathy has passed away in her sleep so she quickly decides to assume her identity and position, at least for the next several weeks. Upon descending from the train and discovering there is no coach waiting for her, she decides to accept a ride from a man dressed and soundly very different from anyone she had met before. After hiding out from a storm with him, he delivers her the next day to her new place of employment. Imagine her surprise when this attractive man turns out to be her new charge, newly arrived from Texas, expecting to eventually be the duke.

This was a very cute story. As always, communication, or lack of it was a key. Rye, the viscount, was a fish out of water and that made him extremely entertaining. Ursula has secret, many of them, and there is no way of knowing when they will come out and how people will react. That makes this an enticing read. Secrets are the best. It was a charming story, with several interesting subplots, and some nefarious characters. It was a good listen and I recommend it.

The reader was Gareth J Davis and his amazing brogue. The most amusing things was to listen to Gareth attempt a Texas accent. It was fun and did not take away from the book as a whole. I enjoyed it. This book was excellent in audio.

I was invited to listen to a free audio book of A Lady's Guide to Mistletoe and Mayhem by the author. All thoughts and opinions are mine.

[Rhonda Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love Emmanuelle De Maupassant's books. Her writing style always brings her stories to live within my mind and I have an instant movie with characters so beautifully flawed they're easy to love and relate to. Well, on the other side of that coin, the villains are just as easy to hate. Ursula is no withering flower of her time. No, her mother passed, her governess left, and her father had allowed her to learn his business and books at his side. Ursula intended to take care of herself when she was grown and had no intention of marrying. Unfortunately, her father died before her plans could come to fruition leaving her the ward of her very greedy Uncle who sold not only her family home but her father's share of the business. As is the custom for women of the Regency era, Ursula would not have free access to even the interest on her inheritance until she turned twenty-five nor the full inheritance at thirty if she wasn't married by then. Rye was born and raised on a ranch in Texas. His father was the third son to the Earl of Dunrannoch in Scotland. His father thought he should marry a member of the gentry but Rory married instead, fell in love, and married the rector's daughter who happened to be his wife's companion. Certainly, Rye's mother had been genteel but not sufficiently well-positioned to please the Dalreaghs. Now that he had become incapacitated and two successive heirs had pasted within a year of each other, a letter had been sent to Rory requesting he come to the castle and pick up the mantle of responsibility. Being on his death bed, Rory has placed the request at his son Rye's feet. There is such fascination, intrigue, drama, adventure, and chemistry in this book. The plot twists and turns keeping me on the edge of my seat to see what would happen next. Oh, let me not forget ….. The castle could be haunted! What a great book.

[Kristi Hudecek-Ashwill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ursula is an independent woman, who doesn't need a man to make her happy--doesn't really want one. She's been groomed to take over her father's business of making shoes and boots in a factory setting. She'd learned it all. Her father passed too soon and her inheritance was kept in the hands of her uncle, who sold her father's part of the business and he was managing her funds until she turned 25 or married. That didn't fly with her and after a blow-up with him, she left and boarded a train headed for Scotland. She wanted to visit her friend, whom she hadn't seen in a great while.

A situation occurred on the train that changed everything for her. She took a new name and a new job as being governess to an errant child, who needed to be taught proper social etiquette. He was to enter society. Well, that errant child was a full-grown man from Texas, Rye Dalreagh.

I have to admit that I was taken in by Rye's demeanor, his speech, the fact that he was six foot five, his chivalry, and honor. But I hated his first name. Rye is a type of wheat, bread, and whiskey to me. Whatever. It didn't kill the story. Nothing did. I actually liked the story quite a lot. It's got an element of ghosts and the supernatural mixed in with some suspense and a killer on the loose. McTavish at the end blew my mind. What wasn't to like?

There was just one thing that was lacking for both characters. I didn't get a clear picture of either of them. Physical characteristics of any character is vital for me to bond with them. I need to see what they look like. I got some descriptions, but not enough. It surprised me that I enjoyed the story as much as I did without that key element.

Aside from that, the book is a good four-star read.

* I won this book in a giveaway

[Blog Coccole tra i Libri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essendo il primo libro che leggo di quest’autrice non mi sono tirata indietro quando mi è stata proposta la recensione per il semplice fatto che non mi spaventano le novità, così come autori di cui non conosco lo stile.

La lettura è stata piacevole e mai noiosa, il carattere forte, indipendente e un po’ ribelle di Ursula è stato la molla che mi ha fatto perdere la bussola dimenticandomi di tutto mentre ero intenta nella lettura.

Il mandriano è stato il tocco clou di tutta la storia, mettere insieme due personalità diverse e differenti è sempre un azzardo e mai un cliché, come si è abituati a pensare.

Ma ancora non basta, infatti il caos vero e proprio si ha quando il tutto s’intreccia e bisogna agire per fare andare i pezzi al proprio posto, iniziando dallo sconfiggere l’antica maledizione che incombe sui Dalreagh e sul castello di Dunrannoch.



Che cosa diceva Il manuale della lady di Miss Abernathy?

Aveva cercato dei consigli sul matrimonio e sui mariti, e il libro aveva molto da dire sull’argomento – alcune cose erano bizzarre, ma la maggior parte erano buone.

O, almeno, così le erano sembrate.

Aveva trovato qualcosa sul fatto che non si trovava la felicità scappando via e che, una volta trovata la persona giusta, si sarebbe capito che era il momento di smettere di fuggire.

Che, invece, si poteva restare ferme e sapere che ci si trovava proprio nel posto in cui si era destinate a essere.

Ursula se lo sentiva.




La vita riserva sempre sorprese, mai mettersi contro e mai dare nulla per scontato.

Una lettura da fare in poche ore, coinvolgente, frizzante, caotica e esilarante.



Buona lettura, alla prossima



4 coccole

Saluinadia

[Celeste · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderfully written short story about two perfectly misplaced people. Lady Ursula Arrington has learned that her father died suddenly, and her hateful Uncle Cedric has become her guardian, with all rights to make decisions that involve her interests and inheritance. His decisions have a left Ursula with no choice but to escape Arrington House and venture out into the world until such time as she reaches the age at which she will receive a portion of her inheritance.

Rhys’ father, Rory Dalreagh, is on his death bed when he gives Rhys a letter from his ancestral home in Scotland. Knowing he won’t live to return to claim his title and inheritance, he implores Rhys to do so on his behalf. Rhys is nothing more than a Texas cowboy and has no idea what learning to be a member of the aristocracy involves, but he agrees to give it his best. Upon receiving his letter agreeing to come to Dunrannoch Castle in Perthshire, his grandfather’s wife sets out to find him a suitable governess to teach him Scottish dances and proper etiquette.

Through an unfortunate event on the train to a Fort Williams, where Ursula plans to stay with her best friend, she ends up assuming the identity of another and finds herself headed to Dunrannoch Castle, a job as a governess awaiting her.

Rhys and Ursula develop a wonderful relationship, and a lady’s guide she finds herself in possession of, gives her encouragement to discover her true self. Unfortunately, there are sinister forces at work, their intent to destroy Rhys and Ursula both.

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