Publisher: WOLF Publishing
Format: ebook
Release Date: October 18th 2022
Genre: Romance – Regency – Christmas
Goodreads
Part of Naughty or Nice: A Holiday Regency Anthology – Once Upon an Aggravatingly Heroic Kiss Review / A Diamond for Christmas Review / The Governess Gamble Review / The Countess’s Christmas Groom Review
This novella had quite a few “aww” moments. It was a sweet story about two people who, despite everything set against them, can’t help but fall in love. When Pippa is found with the dowager’s steward, she’s sent back to London from Scotland. But all she wants is to return to Scotland, away from the crowds, so she can paint in peace. Bram is at risk of losing everything when the dowager pits them against each other; whoever gives her the perfect Christmas present can return with her to Scotland.
One of the key things with any Romance (imho) is creating characters the reader will care about. We need to not only feel the chemistry between them, but have to want to root for them to end up together. This comes into play more when everyone else is set against the couple. Lane achieves it really well here, giving us the moments between Pippa and Bram where we can see how much they care for each other.
I was expecting a little bit more of the enemies-to-lovers aspect, but it’s clear early on that isn’t going to heavily come into play. Instead, it’s more about the pair finding a way to spend time together, and about Pippa especially pushing through her fear to get what she wants. Bram allows her to be more herself, and it’s really sweet to see.
Overall I think this is the sweetest story so far, and feels like the least steamy, though it still has its moments – it’s enjoyable and full of warmth, making it perfect for these cold winter nights.
Unwrapping Words 