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Holidays for Spinsters #1
The Duke Who Hates Christmas
Grumpy, rakish military man Caspian Arundel, Duke of Concord, knows the recipe for a perfect Christmas: no mistletoe, no mulled wine, and certainly no revelers.
The last thing Caspian wants is for some runaway bride to move into the empty castle where Caspian is training his militia. He especially doesn’t want to live near a runaway bride who constantly chirps about the wonders of the coldest holiday of the year.
Miranda didn’t plan to run away from her own wedding. She didn’t even plan to wed. But when her aunt and uncle tell her that they’ve secretly posted the banns on her behalf, she decides to flee. Even if she looks ridiculous running in her loveliest gown down the streets of London looking for a hack, and even if she has nowhere to go except her great-aunt's crumbling castle on the Sussex coast. At least she can finally celebrate Christmas just like her parents always did and create a place for her fellow spinsters and bluestockings to escape their overbearing relatives.
Caspian Arundel, Duke of Concord, is furious. Women have taken over the castle that his men were planning to stay at. Worse, they want to celebrate Christmas there. Caspian has no time for Christmas or women. Not when that beastly Bonaparte might attack any day. He has a particular dislike for Miranda, the leader of this despicable group of females. She already ruined his cousin’s wedding, and clearly she has every intention of ruining his militia and ensuring he’ll never be able to return to the front.
If only she weren’t so enticing .
The last thing Caspian wants is for some runaway bride to move into the empty castle where Caspian is training his militia. He especially doesn’t want to live near a runaway bride who constantly chirps about the wonders of the coldest holiday of the year.
Miranda didn’t plan to run away from her own wedding. She didn’t even plan to wed. But when her aunt and uncle tell her that they’ve secretly posted the banns on her behalf, she decides to flee. Even if she looks ridiculous running in her loveliest gown down the streets of London looking for a hack, and even if she has nowhere to go except her great-aunt's crumbling castle on the Sussex coast. At least she can finally celebrate Christmas just like her parents always did and create a place for her fellow spinsters and bluestockings to escape their overbearing relatives.
Caspian Arundel, Duke of Concord, is furious. Women have taken over the castle that his men were planning to stay at. Worse, they want to celebrate Christmas there. Caspian has no time for Christmas or women. Not when that beastly Bonaparte might attack any day. He has a particular dislike for Miranda, the leader of this despicable group of females. She already ruined his cousin’s wedding, and clearly she has every intention of ruining his militia and ensuring he’ll never be able to return to the front.
If only she weren’t so enticing .
195 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 20, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
October 29, 2023
1.5 stars
The whole thing is clunky and awkward. Thank God it’s a short novel.
The whole thing is clunky and awkward. Thank God it’s a short novel.
November 23, 2023
Actually 3.7 rounded to 4.
A very nice Christmas regency romance novella, quite light and funny.
The plot of the back cover had intrigued me, I wanted to read something romantic, but that wasn't a heartbreaking love story and the book did what it promised: a short, easy read that put me in a good mood.
___THE PLOT___ England is at war with France and fears that Napoleon wants to invade the coasts of the United Kingdom to the north, in Scottish territory.
Caspian is a duke who asserted himself in war but suffered rather serious wounds in his leg and for this reason, despite his desire, he will not be sent back to fight, but rather to a castle in Scotland to teach rookies and older men to fight newly enlisted.
What he doesn't know is that he will find himself in the way of a group of young spinsters (by choice, but they won't be so insensitive to male charm).
The leader of the spinsters is Miranda, who he had already met while she was running away from an arranged and loveless marriage.
A series of mischief and moments of attraction and unexpected kisses will follow, there will be some problems caused by her nasty uncle and aunt. Nice happy ending guaranteed.
___MY OPINION ___ I liked the story, I include it among those that I will gladly reread in the future, but it is obvious that if it had been a novel and not simply a short story, it would have been better because we would have had longer descriptions of the romantic moments.
The supporting characters would have had more opportunity to interact and other events would have been added and developed, which would have made the story more compelling and complete.
This is of course not a criticism, it's just an observation... there are very few short stories that manage to hit the reader's heart in every aspect in just a few pages.
However, I liked all the characters (except the bad aunt and uncle and I'm happy that in the end they got what they deserved) and in just a few pages I managed to become fond of both Caspian and Miranda.
I also loved the setting: a castle in Scotland and it made me want to visit it again!
---> This story is the first of a series of 3, the other 2 concern characters known in the first book and I really think I will soon read the other 2 installments too.
( Thanks for reading my review, please forgive me for any errors in the text, English is not my native language )
A very nice Christmas regency romance novella, quite light and funny.
The plot of the back cover had intrigued me, I wanted to read something romantic, but that wasn't a heartbreaking love story and the book did what it promised: a short, easy read that put me in a good mood.
___THE PLOT___ England is at war with France and fears that Napoleon wants to invade the coasts of the United Kingdom to the north, in Scottish territory.
Caspian is a duke who asserted himself in war but suffered rather serious wounds in his leg and for this reason, despite his desire, he will not be sent back to fight, but rather to a castle in Scotland to teach rookies and older men to fight newly enlisted.
What he doesn't know is that he will find himself in the way of a group of young spinsters (by choice, but they won't be so insensitive to male charm).
The leader of the spinsters is Miranda, who he had already met while she was running away from an arranged and loveless marriage.
A series of mischief and moments of attraction and unexpected kisses will follow, there will be some problems caused by her nasty uncle and aunt. Nice happy ending guaranteed.
___MY OPINION ___ I liked the story, I include it among those that I will gladly reread in the future, but it is obvious that if it had been a novel and not simply a short story, it would have been better because we would have had longer descriptions of the romantic moments.
The supporting characters would have had more opportunity to interact and other events would have been added and developed, which would have made the story more compelling and complete.
This is of course not a criticism, it's just an observation... there are very few short stories that manage to hit the reader's heart in every aspect in just a few pages.
However, I liked all the characters (except the bad aunt and uncle and I'm happy that in the end they got what they deserved) and in just a few pages I managed to become fond of both Caspian and Miranda.
I also loved the setting: a castle in Scotland and it made me want to visit it again!
---> This story is the first of a series of 3, the other 2 concern characters known in the first book and I really think I will soon read the other 2 installments too.
( Thanks for reading my review, please forgive me for any errors in the text, English is not my native language )
December 15, 2024
The plot: Caspian is a military man eager to get back to the front lines and defeat Napolean Bonaparte. Unfortunately, he was seriously wounded during the war. He's home for the holidays (did I mention that he hates Christmas?) and is now forced to attend his cousin's last-minute wedding to one Ms. Miranda West.
Miranda West is a self-proclaimed “spinster" who is now under the thumb of her horrible aunt and uncle after her father's death and they are now forcing her to marry Mr. Leo Arundel....who happens to be Caspian's cousin. Miranda enters her Runaway Bride era and she-along with her posse of spinsters-flee to her family's castle in Northumberland where Caspian and his militiamen also happen to be training. As Caspian and Miranda learn to cohabit, feelings blossom. That is, until a betrayal threatens to ruin everything.
My thoughts: Overall, this romance did not spark joy.
One word to describe this novella: disjointed
My issues with this romance in no particular order:
1. The pacing was weird. Miranda and Caspian go from hating each other to being madly in love within the span of 4-5 pages. That's not how enemies to lovers works, THAT'S NOT HOW ANY OF THIS WORKS. It gave me whiplash and was why I never really bought into their romance. Also, Caspian and Miranda don't interact-with the exception of Miranda escaping her wedding- until halfway through the book.
2. There's one scene where Caspian has to convince other couples at Gretna Green that he needs to interrupt Miranda and Leo's second wedding attempt, and that scene took WAY too long. All he had to do was say "Make way! I'm a Duke" and they would've let him through. Those pages could've been used to develop Caspian and Miranda's relationship!
3. When Caspian first realizes that he's stuck with Miranda and her squad, he considers writing to her aunt and uncle to bring her home (btw he doesn't realize how horrible they are). He writes a letter but never sends it. Later in the story, they arrive at the castle and basically threaten her via gunpoint to come home and marry Leo. WE NEVER FIND OUT WHO SENT THE LETTER. CASPIAN SEEMED CONFUSED? WHO SENT IT? DID CASPIAN ACCIDENTLY SEND IT?
3b. When Miranda's Aunt and Uncle come to take her home, Caspian's just like "Welp. There's nothing I can do. Goodbye" YOU ARE LITERALLY A DUKE. I was thinking of how my favorite historical MMCs would've reacted to the person that they loved getting low key kidnapped; the carriage would not have left the premises. All Caspian had to do was say "I'm a duke. Miranda isn't going anywhere." Sometimes it's ok to throw your duke around!
4. I'm not a closed-door romance girlie (not judging people who are! read what brings you joy, friends) so I was PISSED when we had Caspian and Miranda kissing on one page to them immediately cuddling post coitus on the next page.
All in all, I'm just happy this was free :)
Miranda West is a self-proclaimed “spinster" who is now under the thumb of her horrible aunt and uncle after her father's death and they are now forcing her to marry Mr. Leo Arundel....who happens to be Caspian's cousin. Miranda enters her Runaway Bride era and she-along with her posse of spinsters-flee to her family's castle in Northumberland where Caspian and his militiamen also happen to be training. As Caspian and Miranda learn to cohabit, feelings blossom. That is, until a betrayal threatens to ruin everything.
My thoughts: Overall, this romance did not spark joy.
One word to describe this novella: disjointed
My issues with this romance in no particular order:
1. The pacing was weird. Miranda and Caspian go from hating each other to being madly in love within the span of 4-5 pages. That's not how enemies to lovers works, THAT'S NOT HOW ANY OF THIS WORKS. It gave me whiplash and was why I never really bought into their romance. Also, Caspian and Miranda don't interact-with the exception of Miranda escaping her wedding- until halfway through the book.
2. There's one scene where Caspian has to convince other couples at Gretna Green that he needs to interrupt Miranda and Leo's second wedding attempt, and that scene took WAY too long. All he had to do was say "Make way! I'm a Duke" and they would've let him through. Those pages could've been used to develop Caspian and Miranda's relationship!
3. When Caspian first realizes that he's stuck with Miranda and her squad, he considers writing to her aunt and uncle to bring her home (btw he doesn't realize how horrible they are). He writes a letter but never sends it. Later in the story, they arrive at the castle and basically threaten her via gunpoint to come home and marry Leo. WE NEVER FIND OUT WHO SENT THE LETTER. CASPIAN SEEMED CONFUSED? WHO SENT IT? DID CASPIAN ACCIDENTLY SEND IT?
3b. When Miranda's Aunt and Uncle come to take her home, Caspian's just like "Welp. There's nothing I can do. Goodbye" YOU ARE LITERALLY A DUKE. I was thinking of how my favorite historical MMCs would've reacted to the person that they loved getting low key kidnapped; the carriage would not have left the premises. All Caspian had to do was say "I'm a duke. Miranda isn't going anywhere." Sometimes it's ok to throw your duke around!
4. I'm not a closed-door romance girlie (not judging people who are! read what brings you joy, friends) so I was PISSED when we had Caspian and Miranda kissing on one page to them immediately cuddling post coitus on the next page.
All in all, I'm just happy this was free :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2023
This could be the most awkward, poorly written romance novel that I have ever tried to read. I quit at the 70% mark because the plot was so absurd and unbelievable. If told that it was written by a middle-schooler, I would totally believe it. I rarely say this, but it was a complete waste of time. I will shun this author in the future.
December 12, 2023
Writing was all over the place, no spice, and awkward dialogue.
September 23, 2022
It's been a while since I've had this much fun with a historical novel.
A grumpy military duke, especially about Christmas (he had strong feelings for sad memories of the date) and a brave heroine, who decides her life running away from her family (after all, her family wants to force her to get married! ).
Living together under the same roof, Miranda and Caspian will have to learn each other's limits, pains and qualities, which inevitably leads them to a path of no return in love.
4 stars
A grumpy military duke, especially about Christmas (he had strong feelings for sad memories of the date) and a brave heroine, who decides her life running away from her family (after all, her family wants to force her to get married! ).
Living together under the same roof, Miranda and Caspian will have to learn each other's limits, pains and qualities, which inevitably leads them to a path of no return in love.
4 stars
December 17, 2024
This tried really hard, but it just wasn't for me. Too clunky in regards to the writing, the pacing was weird and the Duke didn't much act like a duke. 2.5 ⭐
December 20, 2023
DNF at 46%. I did not enjoy this story at all…
I found the heroine to be rather stubborn and unlikeable, the hero was a wounded war veteran that was gruff and irritable and for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why he was attracted to the heroine. The whole marriage proposal and wedding with Leo was confusing, the aunt and uncle were despicable…. It was just a mess.
But pretty much everything happening in the story made no sense. I kept waiting for explanations of why things happened, even little things, but once the hero started to suddenly have lingering romantic thoughts about the shrewish heroine, I gave up. There was no chemistry build-up to support the sudden desire, nothing charming about the heroine AND it’s a closed door romance.
What a disappointing mess, it could have been a cute story! *delete from device*
I found the heroine to be rather stubborn and unlikeable, the hero was a wounded war veteran that was gruff and irritable and for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why he was attracted to the heroine. The whole marriage proposal and wedding with Leo was confusing, the aunt and uncle were despicable…. It was just a mess.
But pretty much everything happening in the story made no sense. I kept waiting for explanations of why things happened, even little things, but once the hero started to suddenly have lingering romantic thoughts about the shrewish heroine, I gave up. There was no chemistry build-up to support the sudden desire, nothing charming about the heroine AND it’s a closed door romance.
What a disappointing mess, it could have been a cute story! *delete from device*
December 3, 2023
I wasn't expecting much, but this was utter dribble. The premise of the book sounded interesting, and I tend to read Christmas books during the holiday season but it never quite got there. I was interested in the humor component, that the synopsis provided, but while there were parts where the potential humor was edging toward, the execution was lousy and it fell flat.
I found Miranda to be flighty and without a backbone. I found Caspian to be underdeveloped and boring. There was no romance or sex scenes, the author went as far as to have a whole page that said only "Much more than kissing". If your going to write romance you need to have something about romance in there somewhere, and usually a sex scene or two follows. I've never read Blythe before and I don't know that I'll pick her up again if this is what she writes.
The story was rushed and underdeveloped, several potential plots were thrown in but never explored, maybe she always intended making this a series, fine, but you have to grab your readers with something, or were not going to pick up the next book. The characters were not descriptive or developed and it was just blah.
I found Miranda to be flighty and without a backbone. I found Caspian to be underdeveloped and boring. There was no romance or sex scenes, the author went as far as to have a whole page that said only "Much more than kissing". If your going to write romance you need to have something about romance in there somewhere, and usually a sex scene or two follows. I've never read Blythe before and I don't know that I'll pick her up again if this is what she writes.
The story was rushed and underdeveloped, several potential plots were thrown in but never explored, maybe she always intended making this a series, fine, but you have to grab your readers with something, or were not going to pick up the next book. The characters were not descriptive or developed and it was just blah.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 5, 2024
2,25/5
It started interesting but I disliked the writing pretty quickly. It was just too vague and skipped too many moments. The characters weren't written well either, I couldn't connect with them and later, couldn't believe their romance, it was just all so sudden. There was no chemistry between the characters and their relationship was weak.
I also disliked MMC for sending that letter. I was expecting FMC to find it later in his clothes and demand an explanation, but he sent it instead by accident? How does it even happen? And I didn't believe how sorry he was.
And THEN, then, in the epilogue he had the audacity to do to her what her aunt and uncle had done? And it was suddenly romanticized?? nope. Absolutely not. I hated that.
It started interesting but I disliked the writing pretty quickly. It was just too vague and skipped too many moments. The characters weren't written well either, I couldn't connect with them and later, couldn't believe their romance, it was just all so sudden. There was no chemistry between the characters and their relationship was weak.
I also disliked MMC for sending that letter. I was expecting FMC to find it later in his clothes and demand an explanation, but he sent it instead by accident? How does it even happen? And I didn't believe how sorry he was.
And THEN, then, in the epilogue he had the audacity to do to her what her aunt and uncle had done? And it was suddenly romanticized?? nope. Absolutely not. I hated that.
September 18, 2022
Caspian Arundel, Duke of Concord, hates Christmas & has done ever since his father & brother died rushing home for Christmas. Caspian is desperate to return to the Napoleonic wars after being injured & agrees to train militia at a castle in Northern England. The last thing Caspian wants is for some runaway bride to move into said castle. Miranda West didn’t plan to run away from her own wedding. She didn’t even plan to wed. But when her aunt and uncle tell her that they’ve secretly posted the banns on her behalf, she decides to flee. She has nowhere to go except her great-aunt's crumbling castle. At least she can finally celebrate Christmas just like her parents always did and create a place for her fellow spinsters and bluestockings to escape their overbearing relatives. Then the Duke & his men arrive.
The first in a new series & a quick charming read. I really liked Miranda who was intelligent, charming & cheerful even though she’d lived with her despicable uncle & aunt for years. Caspian was such a grumpy man & it was a delight to see him leave the darkness & come into the light. I also liked Miranda’s friends & hope they all have their stories. I just wish the despicable pair had had more of a comeuppance as they deserved it. A well written entertaining read
The first in a new series & a quick charming read. I really liked Miranda who was intelligent, charming & cheerful even though she’d lived with her despicable uncle & aunt for years. Caspian was such a grumpy man & it was a delight to see him leave the darkness & come into the light. I also liked Miranda’s friends & hope they all have their stories. I just wish the despicable pair had had more of a comeuppance as they deserved it. A well written entertaining read
September 20, 2022
I received a copy from the author; this is my honest review. Caspian and Miranda
-Fun, clean - nothing more than kisses, regency romance. Slow-pace but never boring.
-I loved the militia men and hope to see them again.
-My first LOL: "Something about fighting heroically overseas compelled women to faint in his presence". I could just imagine feathers going down.
-The whole scene with Caspian and his mother had me LMAO. I was wondering how old he was, just to realize later on that he's in his late twenties and his mother still treats him like he's a teenager. And they were in public too! Another time, she's so into her own voice that she can't catch up with what he's saying about Miranda.; she's just not listening.
-What else did Aunt Imogen and Uncle Cuthbert did wrong? Maybe we'll learn in future books.
-My first big gasp about them was when Aunt Imogen insulted Miranda with what she thought her mother was. Ouch. And it probably wasn't even true either.
-Fun, clean - nothing more than kisses, regency romance. Slow-pace but never boring.
-I loved the militia men and hope to see them again.
-My first LOL: "Something about fighting heroically overseas compelled women to faint in his presence". I could just imagine feathers going down.
-The whole scene with Caspian and his mother had me LMAO. I was wondering how old he was, just to realize later on that he's in his late twenties and his mother still treats him like he's a teenager. And they were in public too! Another time, she's so into her own voice that she can't catch up with what he's saying about Miranda.; she's just not listening.
-What else did Aunt Imogen and Uncle Cuthbert did wrong? Maybe we'll learn in future books.
-My first big gasp about them was when Aunt Imogen insulted Miranda with what she thought her mother was. Ouch. And it probably wasn't even true either.
September 16, 2022
This is a fun, lighthearted, Yuletide romance. It’s complete with a runaway Bride; a Duke who is also a scornful seasoned soldier ,anxious to return to war; his rag tag company of soldiers; the Bride’s zany friends and maids; and the most despicable Aunt and Uncle you’d ever run across. They all end up at a crumbling, run down castle. The story is original and unique, and very entertaining, start to finish.
September 25, 2022
Oh what time for some holiday romance. Miranda and Caspione was so cute and adorable.Some parts of the book I loved the funny charm of the characters. These parts made the book even more fun to read. You will get a kick out of the Yule log story. I actually chuckled a few times. The story has entertainment that fills your emotions with the thrill of Christmas. The story is a wonderful read for the holidays.
December 9, 2024
I didn’t love this. I was actively rooting against the romance, if you can even call it that. Caspian was awful, whiny and mean spirited in every interaction with Miranda… but hIs LiPs.
MF, runaway bride, duke mmc & spinster fmc, wounded war hero, scrooge/grinch mmc
“Oh, heavens,” Cassandra drawled. “You mustn’t, Beatrice. Life is too short to confine oneself to one man.”
“Life is too short to devote oneself to any man,” Beatrice said.
MF, runaway bride, duke mmc & spinster fmc, wounded war hero, scrooge/grinch mmc
“Oh, heavens,” Cassandra drawled. “You mustn’t, Beatrice. Life is too short to confine oneself to one man.”
“Life is too short to devote oneself to any man,” Beatrice said.
October 4, 2022
Caspian, Duke of Concord, is the "bah humbug" sort of man. He hates Christmas and has no time for women. Miranda (a runaway bride) fled her wedding and travels to her great aunt's Castle in Northumberland - and guess who's there.....the Duke and his militia.
Loved this story, it was a bit different. Liked the characters and the storyline. Enjoyed it! 4☆
Loved this story, it was a bit different. Liked the characters and the storyline. Enjoyed it! 4☆
June 3, 2024
2.5 stars.
This book was enjoyable, in that I laughed quite a bit. Only issue is that I was laughing at the book, rather than with it. But all the same, it was easy to ready, kept me reading, and made me chuckle more than once.
This book was enjoyable, in that I laughed quite a bit. Only issue is that I was laughing at the book, rather than with it. But all the same, it was easy to ready, kept me reading, and made me chuckle more than once.
dnf
December 30, 2023DNF at 52%
Boring
12/29/23
Boring
12/29/23
December 25, 2022
DNF after the midway point about 60% in.
Leo, cousin of the hero Caspian (a duke) introduced him-
self to Miranda @ a ball & proposed to her. Huh? What
was his motive? She thought Leo intended to humiliate
her.
Miranda lived w/ her Great-Aunt and Great-Uncle who
preached piety & always do right. These 2 later revealed:
they'd lied to her: she did have an inheritance!
Miranda's Great-Aunt arranged for Miranda to wed Leo
w/o informing her! Miranda jilted Leo @ the church.
Miranda learned she owned a castle up north & her 3
spinster friends + 2 servants traveled there. The war
dept arranged for war hero, Caspian, to train a militia
using that castle as his base of operations. Huh?
The premise & the characters did not seem connected
to the real world for me. The 4 spinsters judged others
by did the person believe in Christmas? believe in
Christmas decorations + traditions? Huh? This seemed
silly and not romantic.
Leo, cousin of the hero Caspian (a duke) introduced him-
self to Miranda @ a ball & proposed to her. Huh? What
was his motive? She thought Leo intended to humiliate
her.
Miranda lived w/ her Great-Aunt and Great-Uncle who
preached piety & always do right. These 2 later revealed:
they'd lied to her: she did have an inheritance!
Miranda's Great-Aunt arranged for Miranda to wed Leo
w/o informing her! Miranda jilted Leo @ the church.
Miranda learned she owned a castle up north & her 3
spinster friends + 2 servants traveled there. The war
dept arranged for war hero, Caspian, to train a militia
using that castle as his base of operations. Huh?
The premise & the characters did not seem connected
to the real world for me. The 4 spinsters judged others
by did the person believe in Christmas? believe in
Christmas decorations + traditions? Huh? This seemed
silly and not romantic.
December 11, 2023
1.5
An absolute mess.
An absolute mess.
September 12, 2024
Dreadful drivel. Poorly written characters. Uninspired plot. It’s one redeeming my feature is the short length.
July 22, 2023
The book starts up being told from the Duke's POV- at a debutante ball - him back from the war with an injury and bored out of his mind. In comes Miranda and her crew of "spinster" debs - (although it was hinted by Miranda that one of them did "things" with men.) The duke is there with his cousin who when he sees Miranda says "we are betrothed". You find out that Miranda - the main female lead - her parents died and left his brother and sister in charge - Miranda actually thought that they got everything in the will. They set her up with the Duke's cousin - and it was custom back then that if you went to church and for three weekends got up and said "x is marrying y in four weeks time" that it was pretty much a set deal. The uncle was a preacher, lol. (I will let you learn more about him). It was a set up to marry Miranda off - she escapes out the window on her "wedding day" - the Duke saves her - not realizing she was going to marry the cousin. Come to find out that Miranda's parents left the uncle and aunt as guardians but all of the money and property was hers - she didn't realize this till after she escaped the wedding. So she gets her crew together and escapes to the castle she owns. The duke is on his way there to train the militia in his hope to get back to the war. So they clash - when they all wind up at the castle together. He writes her uncle and aunt and at the end of the book they come and hold her hostage to marry the duke's cousin and he has to go and stop the wedding. during the wedding- when all is said and done she tells the uncle and aunt to get lost. They get married in this little town and then it follows up a year lady when the cover was taken-that they get married in London.
I would have loved for the duke to beat the woop out of the uncle and aunt or seen some kind of justice - and they never answered why they were marrying her off to the cousin - money? I would have liked a little more on that.
Overall a good book- I loved the cover.
I would have loved for the duke to beat the woop out of the uncle and aunt or seen some kind of justice - and they never answered why they were marrying her off to the cousin - money? I would have liked a little more on that.
Overall a good book- I loved the cover.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 20, 2022
Ms. Miranda West is happy because she is a spinster and loves being with her friends who are also spinsters too. Until she finds out that her aunt and uncle betrothed her to a Mr. Leo Arundel. When Leo blurts out that he is going to marry her. Miranda is shockingly dismayed; how could her aunt and uncle do this to her? Miranda decides that she is going to spend Christmas with her friends at her castle in Northumberland. Miranda only has to run away from the farce of a marriage that they have planned and not show up. As Miranda is escaping though she meets Caspian Arundel, fourth Duke of Concord who unwittingly helps her escape despite that she is supposed to marry his cousin, Leo. Caspian never thinks about it until he is tasked with taking some men to the same castle that supposedly was given to Miranda to train men to protect England and win against Bonaparte. When Caspian arrives, Miranda is also there, and they must find a way to live in the same castle and get through the Christmas holiday even though Caspian doesn’t like Christmas.
What a delightfully fun holiday historical romance that will definitely make any grinch laugh and smile, while also putting you in the mood for Christmas too! The places are visually stunningly easy to imagine, and the scenarios aren’t hard either. The characters are all charming despite their hang ups, even though more could be explained about their history. This still, isn’t a really deep novel it’s just a lot of great fun and will keep the winter blahs away. Miranda, the sensible feisty loving heroine is really easy to like despite her running away from her wedding or maybe the groom a bit too much. Caspian the dry, gloomy hero isn’t so bad either. Maybe all can be forgiven because he is a Duke and isn’t really a bad guy. Do I want to read the next one in the series? Of course, I do, and it does put me in a reason to celebrate the season!
What a delightfully fun holiday historical romance that will definitely make any grinch laugh and smile, while also putting you in the mood for Christmas too! The places are visually stunningly easy to imagine, and the scenarios aren’t hard either. The characters are all charming despite their hang ups, even though more could be explained about their history. This still, isn’t a really deep novel it’s just a lot of great fun and will keep the winter blahs away. Miranda, the sensible feisty loving heroine is really easy to like despite her running away from her wedding or maybe the groom a bit too much. Caspian the dry, gloomy hero isn’t so bad either. Maybe all can be forgiven because he is a Duke and isn’t really a bad guy. Do I want to read the next one in the series? Of course, I do, and it does put me in a reason to celebrate the season!
September 16, 2022
Miranda and Caspian were meant to be together. He is grumpy and doesn't like Christmas because of the Christmas season death of his father and brother.
Grumpy, rakish military man Caspian Arundel, Duke of Concord, knows the recipe for a perfect Christmas: no mistletoe, no mulled wine, and certainly no revelers.
The last thing Caspian wants is for some runaway bride to move into the empty castle where Caspian is training his militia. He especially doesn’t want to live near a runaway bride who constantly chirps about the wonders of the coldest holiday of the year.
Miranda didn’t plan to run away from her own wedding. She didn’t even plan to wed. But when her aunt and uncle tell her that they’ve secretly posted the banns on her behalf, she decides to flee. Even if she looks ridiculous running in her loveliest gown down the streets of London looking for a hack, and even if she has nowhere to go except her great-aunt's crumbling castle on the Sussex coast. At least she can finally celebrate Christmas just like her parents always did and create a place for her fellow spinsters and bluestockings to escape their overbearing relatives.
Caspian Arundel, Duke of Concord, is furious. Women have taken over the castle that his men were planning to stay at. Worse, they want to celebrate Christmas there. Caspian has no time for Christmas or women. Not when that beastly Bonaparte might attack any day. He has a particular dislike for Miranda, the leader of this despicable group of females. She already ruined his cousin’s wedding, and clearly she has every intention of ruining his militia and ensuring he’ll never be able to return to the front.
If only she weren’t so enticing .
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.
Grumpy, rakish military man Caspian Arundel, Duke of Concord, knows the recipe for a perfect Christmas: no mistletoe, no mulled wine, and certainly no revelers.
The last thing Caspian wants is for some runaway bride to move into the empty castle where Caspian is training his militia. He especially doesn’t want to live near a runaway bride who constantly chirps about the wonders of the coldest holiday of the year.
Miranda didn’t plan to run away from her own wedding. She didn’t even plan to wed. But when her aunt and uncle tell her that they’ve secretly posted the banns on her behalf, she decides to flee. Even if she looks ridiculous running in her loveliest gown down the streets of London looking for a hack, and even if she has nowhere to go except her great-aunt's crumbling castle on the Sussex coast. At least she can finally celebrate Christmas just like her parents always did and create a place for her fellow spinsters and bluestockings to escape their overbearing relatives.
Caspian Arundel, Duke of Concord, is furious. Women have taken over the castle that his men were planning to stay at. Worse, they want to celebrate Christmas there. Caspian has no time for Christmas or women. Not when that beastly Bonaparte might attack any day. He has a particular dislike for Miranda, the leader of this despicable group of females. She already ruined his cousin’s wedding, and clearly she has every intention of ruining his militia and ensuring he’ll never be able to return to the front.
If only she weren’t so enticing .
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.
November 9, 2023
It started off as a light-hearted Regency romance featuring a young lady of no great good looks embracing spinsterhood and oppressed by her aunt and uncle. The hero of the piece is, naturally, a duke and quite amusingly averse to all the Christmas festivities in his vicinity. I really enjoyed the story for about the first quarter of the book, until the spinster ran off to her castle in Northumberland to avoid an arranged marriage and the duke, wounded in the war against the French, takes a small band of reservists to train...in the lady's own castle.
This circumstance made no sense to me. If it was government policy to commandeer private property for the purpose of the war effort, then I really think the story should have mentioned it! This would have been interesting historical information, not to mention vital for making sense of the story.
Beyond the strange circumstances, the tone of the novel got a bit too silly for me. The duke became a bumbling captain of rag-tags, and the plot slowed to centre upon abortive training exercises and silly interactions with the ladies of the castle. I really don't think Caspian needed to be a duke: no one treats him with suitable deference anyway, so he is quite unbelievable in the role. He would be more credible as a mere Sir or Captain.
As for the heroine, I was disappointed that she and her lady friends gave up their proud spinsterhood with absolutely no fight.
The plot grew more exciting towards the end with the reappearance of the nasty aunt and uncle, and there are fun and games at Gretna Green. This isn't a bad book, and perhaps the comedy will appeal to other readers more than me. Sorry, Bianca, this just isn't my brand of rom com!
This circumstance made no sense to me. If it was government policy to commandeer private property for the purpose of the war effort, then I really think the story should have mentioned it! This would have been interesting historical information, not to mention vital for making sense of the story.
Beyond the strange circumstances, the tone of the novel got a bit too silly for me. The duke became a bumbling captain of rag-tags, and the plot slowed to centre upon abortive training exercises and silly interactions with the ladies of the castle. I really don't think Caspian needed to be a duke: no one treats him with suitable deference anyway, so he is quite unbelievable in the role. He would be more credible as a mere Sir or Captain.
As for the heroine, I was disappointed that she and her lady friends gave up their proud spinsterhood with absolutely no fight.
The plot grew more exciting towards the end with the reappearance of the nasty aunt and uncle, and there are fun and games at Gretna Green. This isn't a bad book, and perhaps the comedy will appeal to other readers more than me. Sorry, Bianca, this just isn't my brand of rom com!
February 16, 2024
Series: Holidays for Spinsters #1
Rating: 4 stars - It was really good
When Miranda is told she is getting married that day to a man she has never met, she does the only sensible thing you can do, run away. She runs to her great aunt's crumbling castle on the Sussex cost so she can celebrate Christmas with her friends. What she doesn't plan for is to fall for the Duke of Concord who is also staying at the castle training local militia to fight against Bonaparte.
This was a wonderful Christmas romance. Caspian and Miranda start out on the wrong foot with Caspian trying to take the castle from her and also being the cousin of the man she was supposed to marry. These two had a quick and steamy relationship that they both figured would be a fling since Caspian planned to go back to the frontlines and Miranda wanted to stay single. Like all flings, this one clearly didn’t stay a fling and their relationship turns serious and I really loved how Caspian declared his love and want of marriage to her.
Caspian and Miranda’s story was sweet and I loved how much Caspian fell so hard for Miranda. Also this has one of my favorite things, which is when the grumpy hero reluctantly falls for the sunshine heroine over a holiday they hate, and this one was very enjoyable in that regard. Overall, this was a great short holiday read and I would totally read more of this series to see the other spinsters fall in love.
TW: emotionally abusive family members; death of family members in carriage accident mentioned;
Rating: 4 stars - It was really good
When Miranda is told she is getting married that day to a man she has never met, she does the only sensible thing you can do, run away. She runs to her great aunt's crumbling castle on the Sussex cost so she can celebrate Christmas with her friends. What she doesn't plan for is to fall for the Duke of Concord who is also staying at the castle training local militia to fight against Bonaparte.
This was a wonderful Christmas romance. Caspian and Miranda start out on the wrong foot with Caspian trying to take the castle from her and also being the cousin of the man she was supposed to marry. These two had a quick and steamy relationship that they both figured would be a fling since Caspian planned to go back to the frontlines and Miranda wanted to stay single. Like all flings, this one clearly didn’t stay a fling and their relationship turns serious and I really loved how Caspian declared his love and want of marriage to her.
Caspian and Miranda’s story was sweet and I loved how much Caspian fell so hard for Miranda. Also this has one of my favorite things, which is when the grumpy hero reluctantly falls for the sunshine heroine over a holiday they hate, and this one was very enjoyable in that regard. Overall, this was a great short holiday read and I would totally read more of this series to see the other spinsters fall in love.
TW: emotionally abusive family members; death of family members in carriage accident mentioned;
September 29, 2022
The Duke Who Hates Christmas is very funny and a well done book. Miranda is different and that makes this story very enjoyable. I was not sure that I would like reading a Christmas story this soon but after a few pages I got right into it. Escaping her terrible Aunt and Uncle and residing in remote castle with a few like minded friends sounds like a perfect holiday. She never expects to find Caspian, a former military man and his unusual motley recruits arriving to train to protect the coast and reside at the castle also. Miranda and Caspian tangle right from the start, especially with their plans for Christmas. This sets up the inevitable battle between the women decorating and the men trying to do their duty and training. When Miranda is forced into a carriage heading for Scotland, being made to marry someone by her Aunt and Uncle, I just had to stay up late to find out how things worked out! This is the first book in the Holiday for Spinsters series and I highly recommend it. I read an ARC and this is my honest review.
November 19, 2023
Cute story- that moves fairly quickly with heroine a reader would like to know more about as she is interesting and whose life is ruled by “good and pious” relatives. She has no backbone and floats around in the story until she doesn’t.
The Duke and his cousin bounce around like pinballs through the story seem sort of incidental to the story- in the way scrambled eggs cooked in the microwave don’t quite get fully done after 40 seconds.
My favorite Character is the Duke’s mother- who seems to be the most fully formed character who seems more of a cheerleader to her sometimes hapless son.
If you want a Story with a holiday flare to it that doesn’t require a great deal of time and attention- you just might enjoy this book. 📚
This is a very nicely edited book. The reader does not trip over misspelled words, or silly punctuation errors. A great deal of care went into the writing of this book. There is a feeling of great deliberation as the author set pen to paper-so as to avoid mistakes - rather like the main character, Miranda, lives her life.
The Duke and his cousin bounce around like pinballs through the story seem sort of incidental to the story- in the way scrambled eggs cooked in the microwave don’t quite get fully done after 40 seconds.
My favorite Character is the Duke’s mother- who seems to be the most fully formed character who seems more of a cheerleader to her sometimes hapless son.
If you want a Story with a holiday flare to it that doesn’t require a great deal of time and attention- you just might enjoy this book. 📚
This is a very nicely edited book. The reader does not trip over misspelled words, or silly punctuation errors. A great deal of care went into the writing of this book. There is a feeling of great deliberation as the author set pen to paper-so as to avoid mistakes - rather like the main character, Miranda, lives her life.
September 16, 2022
Bah humbug! A Scrooge of a Duke that hates Christmas, but he does have a valid reason. Still recovering from a wound he received fighting the French he now is even more grumpy. He shows up for his cousin’s wedding, only because he is really his only friend. When he catches the bride to be, literally climbing out a window he is left to break the news to his cousin that he has been jilted.
Miranda doesn’t have evil stepsisters, she has a evil aunt and uncle. Finding out that she is to marry a man she only briefly met once has her running for her freedom. Together with her friends they escape to her great aunt’s castle in the north, where they are free to be spinsters and celebrate Christmas as they want. But then it is a small world after all….guess who shows up at the castle?
A amusing fairy tale of a story. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #TheDukeWhoHatesChristmas #BiancaBlythe
Miranda doesn’t have evil stepsisters, she has a evil aunt and uncle. Finding out that she is to marry a man she only briefly met once has her running for her freedom. Together with her friends they escape to her great aunt’s castle in the north, where they are free to be spinsters and celebrate Christmas as they want. But then it is a small world after all….guess who shows up at the castle?
A amusing fairy tale of a story. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #TheDukeWhoHatesChristmas #BiancaBlythe
September 20, 2022
I always enjoy Bianca Blythe books, and this was no exception. It is the first book in a new series, and I can not wait to read the next. This book is about Caspian who is a Duke and a military man. He has been hurt and can not go back to the front line, even though he wants to. His superior tells him he must train some men, in a castle far from London. Miranda is a woman who lives with her horrible Aunt and Uncle, I will tell you I have not disliked characters so much, they agree to a marriage for Miranda without her knowing. Miranda decides she does not want to get married to someone she does not know so she runs away to the castle Caspian is going to train his men. Maranda and Caspian meet and butt heads, she loves Christmas and all the decorations, and Caspian does not. There were parts in the story that I found funny, but the whole book was very enjoyable.
I received an ARC of this book and am leaving my honest opinion.
I received an ARC of this book and am leaving my honest opinion.
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