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Blackshear Family #0.5
A Christmas Gone Perfectly Wrong
It should have been simple...
With one more errand to go—the purchase of a hunting falcon—Andrew Blackshear has Christmas completely under control. As his sister's impending marriage signals the inevitable drifting-apart of the Blackshear family, it's his last chance to give his siblings the sort of memorable, well-planned holiday their parents could never seem to provide.
He has no time to dawdle, no time for nonsense, and certainly no time to drive the falconer's vexing, impulsive, lush-lipped, midnight-haired daughter to a house party before heading home. So why the devil did he agree to do just that?
It couldn't be more deliciously mixed-up...
Lucy Sharp has been waiting all her too-quiet life for an adventure, and she means to make the most of this one. She's going to enjoy the house party as no one has ever enjoyed a house party before, and in the meanwhile she's going to enjoy every minute in the company of amusingly stern, formidably proper, outrageously handsome Mr. Blackshear. Let him disapprove of her all he likes—it's not as though they'll see each other again after today.
...or will they? When a carriage mishap and a snowstorm strand the pair miles short of their destination, threatening them with scandal and jeopardizing all their Christmas plans, they'll have to work together to save the holiday from disaster. And along the way they just might learn that the best adventures are the ones you never would have thought to plan.
With one more errand to go—the purchase of a hunting falcon—Andrew Blackshear has Christmas completely under control. As his sister's impending marriage signals the inevitable drifting-apart of the Blackshear family, it's his last chance to give his siblings the sort of memorable, well-planned holiday their parents could never seem to provide.
He has no time to dawdle, no time for nonsense, and certainly no time to drive the falconer's vexing, impulsive, lush-lipped, midnight-haired daughter to a house party before heading home. So why the devil did he agree to do just that?
It couldn't be more deliciously mixed-up...
Lucy Sharp has been waiting all her too-quiet life for an adventure, and she means to make the most of this one. She's going to enjoy the house party as no one has ever enjoyed a house party before, and in the meanwhile she's going to enjoy every minute in the company of amusingly stern, formidably proper, outrageously handsome Mr. Blackshear. Let him disapprove of her all he likes—it's not as though they'll see each other again after today.
...or will they? When a carriage mishap and a snowstorm strand the pair miles short of their destination, threatening them with scandal and jeopardizing all their Christmas plans, they'll have to work together to save the holiday from disaster. And along the way they just might learn that the best adventures are the ones you never would have thought to plan.
188 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 4, 2014
About the author
Cecilia Grant
5 books649 followersI write Regency-set historical romance with a high angst-to-plot ratio. I specialize in hard-headed heroines and good-hearted heroes. So far.
A word about the "reviews" I post here: Please think of them as recommendations rather than reviews. If I like a book, I'll list it here and scrawl a few sentences about why I liked it. I've gone back and forth about whether to use stars (it feels like a sledgehammer approach to something pretty intricate), and at the moment I'm back to using them. Mostly because I'm slow about writing reviews, and there were a lot of books I wanted to go on record as having enjoyed!
A word about the "reviews" I post here: Please think of them as recommendations rather than reviews. If I like a book, I'll list it here and scrawl a few sentences about why I liked it. I've gone back and forth about whether to use stars (it feels like a sledgehammer approach to something pretty intricate), and at the moment I'm back to using them. Mostly because I'm slow about writing reviews, and there were a lot of books I wanted to go on record as having enjoyed!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 353 reviews
November 24, 2019
4,5 Stars
[...] and trouble found him, in torrents that put the winter squall to shame.
Buying the perfect Christmas gift for his beloved sister has brought Andrew Blackshear in the midst of the cold Norfolk countryside in search of a hunting falcon. At the household of a local baron, who trains and trades said birds of prey, he meets the nobleman's lively and unconventional daughter, Miss Lucy Sharp. Exasperated by her artless and straightforward manners, handsome but starchy Andrew cannot help to be both confounded and intrigued too. And when foul weather, a broken wheel and the holiday spirit conspire to bring these two mismatched young hearts together along the road to a Christmas house-party, resisting temptation will become ever more difficult... especially having to pretend to be husband and wife and sharing the same bedroom in order to keep up appearances.
At 188 pages, I don't know whether I should call this a very long novella or a quite short full novel, but in such a span, revisiting and breathing new life into the overused "snowbound and stranded" trope, Cecilia Grant has surely been able to recreate a believable, sweet and well rounded story of a falling in love. Watching endearingly priggish Andrew and socially awkward Lucy gradually rethinking preconceived notions and allowing themselves to explore each other is sheer joy. Remaining within the confines of plausibility according to the social mores of the historical setting, the story nonetheless intimately portrays the characters' complete arc while they heartwarmingly let go of all their emotional inhibitions and mutually acknowledge their blossoming love. All described with astounding depth considering the more restrained format.
With a sophisticated and polished prose, a perfect balance between witty dialogues and deliciously revealing inner musings, a gently sharp humour and a delicate sensuality suffusing the whole narration and modernising the old beloved formula,
A Christmas Gone Perfectly Wrong pays homage to the best Regency genre's tradition like few other today's examples.
November 25, 2019
4 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟 - English Ebook
A free spirit in a Historical setting. I liked this novella. The main character has a way about her you start to like her. Even if she is living in a timeline atleast a hundered years ago. 🌹🌷🌹🌷
A free spirit in a Historical setting. I liked this novella. The main character has a way about her you start to like her. Even if she is living in a timeline atleast a hundered years ago. 🌹🌷🌹🌷
December 18, 2014
After fighting the Amazon bureaucracy, Cecilia Grant has made this one a free download. If you haven't read her first three books (which are excellent), no matter. This one is a prequel.
It's short, sweet, funny, and touching. As in her three books, Grant's writing is impeccable. I just wish that she could write faster.
It's short, sweet, funny, and touching. As in her three books, Grant's writing is impeccable. I just wish that she could write faster.
December 30, 2014
4.5 stars.
It’s been some time since Ms Grant published her last full-length novel, so I was delighted when I read that she would be putting out a novella for Christmas.
A Christmas Gone Perfectly Wrong is a prequel to her Blackshear family novels, and features the eldest brother, Andrew, who is also a kind of substitute father to his younger siblings (who include Martha, Will and Nick, who we have met in the novels.) He comes across as rather a stuffy young man – intent on maintaining propriety and doing the right thing all the time – even when perhaps what is “proper” may not be “right”, such as when he encounters a very bedraggled young woman traipsing along a muddy lane and propriety dictates she should ignore her because they don’t know each other.
The young woman turns out – of course – to be the daughter of the man he is going to visit. Feeling rather off balance, Andrew is rendered further so by the dinner conversation, which he finds completely unsuitable and far too unconventional in tone. Lucy Sharp is vivacious, and as free-thinking as her father, and Andrew can’t wait to be on his way home. With one of his sisters about to marry, this is the last Christmas they will spend together, and he is determined to make it their best Christmas ever. But one thing leads to another, and he finds himself escorting Lucy to a house-party which is not far out of his way. Their carriage is damaged in a snowstorm and they have no alternative but to pose as a married couple in order to protect Lucy’s reputation when they are rescued and offered shelter by an older couple who are spending their first Christmas without the company of their recently married daughter. Having to maintain the pretence causes some awkwardness (especially at night!) but leads also to some truly charming moments, such as when Andrew asks Lucy to dance at a party. So while their Christmases don’t turn out as planned, they nonetheless turn out to be better than either could ever have believed possible.
At its most basic, this story is one those in which an overly starchy hero is loosened up by a lively young woman – but this is Cecilia Grant, and it turns out to be so much more than that. Lucy has been brought up to believe that actually doing good is more important than the appearance of it, whereas Andrew is adamant on maintaining appearances as well as doing the right thing. But the thing is that while he seems like a stuffed shirt, he’s actually very considerate of others, which is where he and Lucy eventually find much common ground.
This is a beautifully written, beautifully observed story, featuring two well-rounded characters who aren’t always easy to like, but who are very engaging nonetheless. Yes, there were times I wanted to smack Andrew and tell him to loosen up a little, or yell at Lucy to stop and think about what she was doing or saying, but that’s one of the joys of Cecilia Grant’s writing - her characters feel like real people precisely because they’re not perfect.
A Christmas Gone Perfectly Wrong is a terrific read and one I’d not hesitate to recommend to anyone looking for a well-written seasonal story.
It’s been some time since Ms Grant published her last full-length novel, so I was delighted when I read that she would be putting out a novella for Christmas.
A Christmas Gone Perfectly Wrong is a prequel to her Blackshear family novels, and features the eldest brother, Andrew, who is also a kind of substitute father to his younger siblings (who include Martha, Will and Nick, who we have met in the novels.) He comes across as rather a stuffy young man – intent on maintaining propriety and doing the right thing all the time – even when perhaps what is “proper” may not be “right”, such as when he encounters a very bedraggled young woman traipsing along a muddy lane and propriety dictates she should ignore her because they don’t know each other.
The young woman turns out – of course – to be the daughter of the man he is going to visit. Feeling rather off balance, Andrew is rendered further so by the dinner conversation, which he finds completely unsuitable and far too unconventional in tone. Lucy Sharp is vivacious, and as free-thinking as her father, and Andrew can’t wait to be on his way home. With one of his sisters about to marry, this is the last Christmas they will spend together, and he is determined to make it their best Christmas ever. But one thing leads to another, and he finds himself escorting Lucy to a house-party which is not far out of his way. Their carriage is damaged in a snowstorm and they have no alternative but to pose as a married couple in order to protect Lucy’s reputation when they are rescued and offered shelter by an older couple who are spending their first Christmas without the company of their recently married daughter. Having to maintain the pretence causes some awkwardness (especially at night!) but leads also to some truly charming moments, such as when Andrew asks Lucy to dance at a party. So while their Christmases don’t turn out as planned, they nonetheless turn out to be better than either could ever have believed possible.
At its most basic, this story is one those in which an overly starchy hero is loosened up by a lively young woman – but this is Cecilia Grant, and it turns out to be so much more than that. Lucy has been brought up to believe that actually doing good is more important than the appearance of it, whereas Andrew is adamant on maintaining appearances as well as doing the right thing. But the thing is that while he seems like a stuffed shirt, he’s actually very considerate of others, which is where he and Lucy eventually find much common ground.
This is a beautifully written, beautifully observed story, featuring two well-rounded characters who aren’t always easy to like, but who are very engaging nonetheless. Yes, there were times I wanted to smack Andrew and tell him to loosen up a little, or yell at Lucy to stop and think about what she was doing or saying, but that’s one of the joys of Cecilia Grant’s writing - her characters feel like real people precisely because they’re not perfect.
A Christmas Gone Perfectly Wrong is a terrific read and one I’d not hesitate to recommend to anyone looking for a well-written seasonal story.
December 26, 2021
4.5/5
Truly the perfect Christmas novella! Kate Clayborn tweeted about this story and I immediately dropped everything to read it. It was just the cozy, magical, and tropey book I needed. Watching Lucy confuse and unravel Andrew was the best.
Also, ONLY ONE BED and FAKE MARRIAGE, besties!!
Now I gotta move my butt and read more from Grant.
February 16, 2016
This is such a delightful story and a wonderful introduction to Cecilia Grant’s books. Not since reading my first Courtney Milan book have I been so excited about a new-to-me author. Even within the constraints of this novella, Ms Grant brings her characters to life and creates a story full of originality and charm.
Following his parents’ death, Andrew Blackshear has shouldered responsibility for the upbringing of his younger siblings. He has always endeavoured to set a good example by being the epitome of a gentleman… propriety and decorum are the principles he lives by. It is on a trip to the wilds of Norfolk to collect a Christmas gift for his sister that he finds himself stranded with a lady who tests his principles to breaking point.
An only child, Lucy Sharp has led a secluded life with her rather unconventional father. She loves him dearly but wants to do the things that all other young ladies do. So when she is invited to her aunt’s Christmas house party, she relishes the opportunity to enjoy herself. Never does she imagine that she will find herself stranded with the most pompous and judgemental gentleman it has been her misfortune to meet.
Despite being a stuffed-shirt, there is something endearing about Andrew. Perhaps it’s the way he clearly loves his siblings and does everything in his power to to give them the happiest Christmas he can, or seeing him thrown off-balance whenever he is around Lucy. His internal thoughts are so funny…
She ought to be told, with utmost obliqueness and discretion, of course, that such a gaze produced inconvenient stirrings in a gentleman, and could leave lingering impressions that might burgeon, in his private hours, to un-virtuous effect.
…not forgetting the embarrassing sex dream!
Lucy’s warmth, kindness and common sense provide the perfect foil to Andrew’s decorum and she is clever enough to run circles around him.
“I’m sorry, Miss Sharp.” He met her gaze unblinking. “I’m afraid I am unable to render you that service.”
“Why?” She tilted her head, as blunt and guileless as a five-year-old who’d been denied a sweetmeat, and every bit as untroubled by manners.
Her kindness is shown in her understanding of the Porters’ true situation and her determination not to embarrass them and how she ensures that her maid, Perkins, can see her family for Christmas.
Often novellas don’t provide sufficient page time to develop a believable relationship between the hero and heroine but Ms Grant succeeds brilliantly. All the obstacles that are thrown in their path force Andrew and Lucy to work together to find solutions, allowing them to get to know and understand each other. It feels as if they have known each far longer than a just a few days and I readily accepted their falling in love.
I fell in love with Ms Grant’s witty and elegant writing style…
Somewhere in the last minute his heart seemed to have lurched off its moorings like a hot-air balloon and now it drifted unsteadily about the cavity of his chest.
His fingers had wandered to his own particularly naked region and taken up a light, un-purposeful sort of stroking. Even this much was a sin, to be sure, and a failure of his self-command.
She slipped her thumbs into his jacket where it opened to make way for his cravat, thumbnails dragging against the linen of his shirt and tickling his chest in gloriously impertinent fashion.
MY VERDICT: I have no hesitation in recommending this enchanting novella and I know the rest of the series will be high on my reading list.
REVIEW RATING: 5/5 STARS
Blackshear Family series (click on the book covers for more details):
This review is also posted on my Rakes and Rascals Blog:
https://rakesandrascals.wordpress.com...
Following his parents’ death, Andrew Blackshear has shouldered responsibility for the upbringing of his younger siblings. He has always endeavoured to set a good example by being the epitome of a gentleman… propriety and decorum are the principles he lives by. It is on a trip to the wilds of Norfolk to collect a Christmas gift for his sister that he finds himself stranded with a lady who tests his principles to breaking point.
An only child, Lucy Sharp has led a secluded life with her rather unconventional father. She loves him dearly but wants to do the things that all other young ladies do. So when she is invited to her aunt’s Christmas house party, she relishes the opportunity to enjoy herself. Never does she imagine that she will find herself stranded with the most pompous and judgemental gentleman it has been her misfortune to meet.
Despite being a stuffed-shirt, there is something endearing about Andrew. Perhaps it’s the way he clearly loves his siblings and does everything in his power to to give them the happiest Christmas he can, or seeing him thrown off-balance whenever he is around Lucy. His internal thoughts are so funny…
She ought to be told, with utmost obliqueness and discretion, of course, that such a gaze produced inconvenient stirrings in a gentleman, and could leave lingering impressions that might burgeon, in his private hours, to un-virtuous effect.
…not forgetting the embarrassing sex dream!
Lucy’s warmth, kindness and common sense provide the perfect foil to Andrew’s decorum and she is clever enough to run circles around him.
“I’m sorry, Miss Sharp.” He met her gaze unblinking. “I’m afraid I am unable to render you that service.”
“Why?” She tilted her head, as blunt and guileless as a five-year-old who’d been denied a sweetmeat, and every bit as untroubled by manners.
Her kindness is shown in her understanding of the Porters’ true situation and her determination not to embarrass them and how she ensures that her maid, Perkins, can see her family for Christmas.
Often novellas don’t provide sufficient page time to develop a believable relationship between the hero and heroine but Ms Grant succeeds brilliantly. All the obstacles that are thrown in their path force Andrew and Lucy to work together to find solutions, allowing them to get to know and understand each other. It feels as if they have known each far longer than a just a few days and I readily accepted their falling in love.
I fell in love with Ms Grant’s witty and elegant writing style…
Somewhere in the last minute his heart seemed to have lurched off its moorings like a hot-air balloon and now it drifted unsteadily about the cavity of his chest.
His fingers had wandered to his own particularly naked region and taken up a light, un-purposeful sort of stroking. Even this much was a sin, to be sure, and a failure of his self-command.
She slipped her thumbs into his jacket where it opened to make way for his cravat, thumbnails dragging against the linen of his shirt and tickling his chest in gloriously impertinent fashion.
MY VERDICT: I have no hesitation in recommending this enchanting novella and I know the rest of the series will be high on my reading list.
REVIEW RATING: 5/5 STARS
Blackshear Family series (click on the book covers for more details):
This review is also posted on my Rakes and Rascals Blog:
https://rakesandrascals.wordpress.com...
July 14, 2019
Well, this was extremely unsatisfying.
Not only did the MCs NOT have sex!!! How can they not have sex!!!! It's a novella but come ON! It's a romance novel!!!!
Not only did the MCs NOT have sex, but the words just kept dragging on. I like the way Cecilia Grant writes, for the most part. A couple of her novels have been favorites of mine. But they are hit and miss.
This was a miss.
I should have "listened" to the other reviews...
Arrrgggghhhh!
Not only did the MCs NOT have sex!!! How can they not have sex!!!! It's a novella but come ON! It's a romance novel!!!!
Not only did the MCs NOT have sex, but the words just kept dragging on. I like the way Cecilia Grant writes, for the most part. A couple of her novels have been favorites of mine. But they are hit and miss.
This was a miss.
I should have "listened" to the other reviews...
Arrrgggghhhh!
December 27, 2017
Our hero has spent most of his life trying to lead a life as a good example to his younger siblings. He is serious and stoic. Our heroine is a sweet young girl raised by her father along with the falcons he raises.
Our hero plans to buy a falcon for his sister when he meets our heroine. Through a series of circumstances the two find themselves stranded through Christmas.
A sweet romance with a bit of ‘the hot and heavy’ while they pose as Mr. and Mrs. 😊
Our hero plans to buy a falcon for his sister when he meets our heroine. Through a series of circumstances the two find themselves stranded through Christmas.
A sweet romance with a bit of ‘the hot and heavy’ while they pose as Mr. and Mrs. 😊
December 6, 2021
I didn't realize that novellas could be a slow burn until I read this. It's so chock-full of tender moments that I didn't feel cheated by the length.
Andrew Blackshear has traveled to the Sharp household the day before Christmas Eve to buy a falcon as a gift for his sister. Andrew is the starchiest hero I have come across in a while,(although he still can't hold a candle to his sister, Martha from A Lady Awakened) a man that spends so much time in his head deliberating on propriety that you see what's really behind his pompousness: kindness. The fact that Andrew is buying a falcon for his soon to be married sister, and his motivation behind it, is revealing of his character:
Lucy doesn't yet know what it's like to have something of her own, as she's her father's only child and his falconry business takes up much of his time. She's intrigued by this attractive and anxious weirdo, even if she thinks that he shouldn't be buying a hunting bird on a whim. Against her better judgement, she concocts a way to spend more time with him before he returns home for Christmas.
And this is where everything falls apart. Andrew's carefully planned pre-Christmas excursion now includes toting Lucy in his carriage, and an accident strands them both with some kind strangers. The entire journey is mortifying to them both, and the stress of plans gone awry nurture the seeds of a very tender romance that just felt right.
There was no way for me to organically include this quote, so I'm just tacking it on to the end:
Andrew Blackshear has traveled to the Sharp household the day before Christmas Eve to buy a falcon as a gift for his sister. Andrew is the starchiest hero I have come across in a while,(although he still can't hold a candle to his sister, Martha from A Lady Awakened) a man that spends so much time in his head deliberating on propriety that you see what's really behind his pompousness: kindness. The fact that Andrew is buying a falcon for his soon to be married sister, and his motivation behind it, is revealing of his character:
"He likes shooting and fox-hunting and so forth. A hawking bird will giver her a way to..." His thumb stilled, all energy redirected to choosing the proper words. "Share in his amusements... without simply adopting all his preferences for her own." His cheeks were flushing. He seemed a little amazed at himself for telling so much. "I thought she ought to have something that belonged only to her."
Lucy doesn't yet know what it's like to have something of her own, as she's her father's only child and his falconry business takes up much of his time. She's intrigued by this attractive and anxious weirdo, even if she thinks that he shouldn't be buying a hunting bird on a whim. Against her better judgement, she concocts a way to spend more time with him before he returns home for Christmas.
And this is where everything falls apart. Andrew's carefully planned pre-Christmas excursion now includes toting Lucy in his carriage, and an accident strands them both with some kind strangers. The entire journey is mortifying to them both, and the stress of plans gone awry nurture the seeds of a very tender romance that just felt right.
There was no way for me to organically include this quote, so I'm just tacking it on to the end:
"So, fingertips on her sleeve to catch her attention, when mere speech would have served. A digression on falconry that no one wanted to hear, just so he could grasp and handle her arm in the course of showing where the bird would sit. An occasional pivot to his left that resulted in glancing contact between his knees and hers."
December 29, 2017
If you love reading about constant agonies surrounding comportment and etiquette and propriety and duty (yes, those are mostly synonyms of the same thing, how clever of you to notice), then you'll love A CHRISTMAS GONE PERFECTLY WRONG. Grant's prequel to her Blackshear Family series features a pretty stuffy starchy dude who gradually becomes a little less unstuffed, whilst mostly keeping true to his values, and the unworldly girl who constantly challenges him on his rules whilst still loving him for them.
While this worried over the same things for pretty much the full length of the story, by way of discussions more than flirty bickering, I have to admit it was very well written. Even when the arguments grew tedious, I was still somehow invested. There was a sweet kind of charm to the whole thing and this feels far more true to the genre than some of the sillier, less likely, romances I tend to gravitate towards.
I'm interested enough to read on and look forward to discovering more of this series, this family, and this new-to-me author.
fyi, bookies, it's still available as a freebie on the zon's.
While this worried over the same things for pretty much the full length of the story, by way of discussions more than flirty bickering, I have to admit it was very well written. Even when the arguments grew tedious, I was still somehow invested. There was a sweet kind of charm to the whole thing and this feels far more true to the genre than some of the sillier, less likely, romances I tend to gravitate towards.
I'm interested enough to read on and look forward to discovering more of this series, this family, and this new-to-me author.
fyi, bookies, it's still available as a freebie on the zon's.
January 7, 2018
This is a Christmas story done perfectly right. The Blackshear family has interesting but imperfect, at times troubled people as its members, as Grant's first three novels show us (A Lady Awakened (Blackshear Family),A Gentleman Undone (Blackshear Family), and A Woman Entangled (Blackshear Family)). Not only does Grant create great characters, but her writing is some of the best in the historical romance world and I snap up everything she writes.
This novella is a prequel to the three novels and has as its protagonist Andrew, the oldest Blackshear brother. Andrew has featured only tangentially in the novels, but the idea one forms of him from the books is that he is responsible, stalwart, loyal to family, kind but very proper and not super fun to hang with. This novella gives us some insight into Andrew and a better understanding of his personality.
We meet him here as a 25-year-old who's on a mission to buy his soon-to-be-married sister Kitty a falcon for her Christmas present. The exact "why" of the choice doesn't make absolute sense to me but it does get Andrew into the company of 21-year-old Lucy, who helps her father with the raising and selling of hunting birds. (And it makes for an interesting metaphor later on in the story. You'll know what I'm talking about when you get there.)
Lucy lives a rather insular life with her father and is looking forward to a Christmas house party she's been invited to. Unfortunately, her coachman is injured and cannot take her, so it's up to a very reluctant Andrew (it's much too improper for her to be with a stranger for so long in a carriage) to transport her to her party on his way home to celebrate Christmas with his family.
Well, this is when the Christmas starts to go perfectly wrong. Everything inconvenient that could happen, does happen. It's a joy to read. Watching Andrew's struggles to stay within the bounds of propriety he has set himself, watching the two of them fall in love, reading about the really lovely Christmas they manage to have even if it's not the one they had planned for themselves, just everything about this is a delight. And, of course, it's by Cecilia Grant, who's one of my very favorite HR authors. She hasn't written many stories yet but they are all quality work.
This novella is a prequel to the three novels and has as its protagonist Andrew, the oldest Blackshear brother. Andrew has featured only tangentially in the novels, but the idea one forms of him from the books is that he is responsible, stalwart, loyal to family, kind but very proper and not super fun to hang with. This novella gives us some insight into Andrew and a better understanding of his personality.
We meet him here as a 25-year-old who's on a mission to buy his soon-to-be-married sister Kitty a falcon for her Christmas present. The exact "why" of the choice doesn't make absolute sense to me but it does get Andrew into the company of 21-year-old Lucy, who helps her father with the raising and selling of hunting birds. (And it makes for an interesting metaphor later on in the story. You'll know what I'm talking about when you get there.)
Lucy lives a rather insular life with her father and is looking forward to a Christmas house party she's been invited to. Unfortunately, her coachman is injured and cannot take her, so it's up to a very reluctant Andrew (it's much too improper for her to be with a stranger for so long in a carriage) to transport her to her party on his way home to celebrate Christmas with his family.
Well, this is when the Christmas starts to go perfectly wrong. Everything inconvenient that could happen, does happen. It's a joy to read. Watching Andrew's struggles to stay within the bounds of propriety he has set himself, watching the two of them fall in love, reading about the really lovely Christmas they manage to have even if it's not the one they had planned for themselves, just everything about this is a delight. And, of course, it's by Cecilia Grant, who's one of my very favorite HR authors. She hasn't written many stories yet but they are all quality work.
February 23, 2016
I almost didn't finish this, but the ending picked up with enough emotion that I was able to get through it.
This was a Buddy Read with Ally, who enjoyed this more than me (so jealous!). So why didn't I love this story? Many of my GR friends raved about this author, but for me, there was something missing. I recognized beautiful turns of phrase throughout this novella and remembered thinking to myself that the writer has talent...but.
I do not think the author's style is for me. I felt myself dissecting the story clinically and could never get drawn into the tale. The hero's stodgy behavior and irritating inner dialogue drove me nuts. Sometimes, similes and metaphors would go on for pages and I'd forget who was talking. Other times, there would be a dramatic chapter ending, but you wouldn't find out what it was foreshadowing until several chapters later (and by then I'd forget the statement and have to flip back). Further, some chapters or scenes began with a general "he" or "she" and you'd have to deduce who was thinking or being spoken about. Overall, it was just too much work.
I felt that the story was sterile. It was sparkly and full of beautiful words, but there was no warm heart underneath to help me go through pages. It was written in a way to be alluring to readers instead of being written because the author desperately wanted to tell a story.
I am not going to summarize the plot here since many other readers provide great summaries and I skimmed parts and may not do an adequate job. I am writing this for those readers that didn't quite enjoy the novella and wonder why. This is one of those rare occasions where I recognize writer talent, but cannot get through the story. This is getting two stars for the writing and professionalism (no typos jumped out at me), but it lost stars because it lacked storytelling magic for me. I most likely won't be trying another Cecilia Grant novel.
This was a Buddy Read with Ally, who enjoyed this more than me (so jealous!). So why didn't I love this story? Many of my GR friends raved about this author, but for me, there was something missing. I recognized beautiful turns of phrase throughout this novella and remembered thinking to myself that the writer has talent...but.
I do not think the author's style is for me. I felt myself dissecting the story clinically and could never get drawn into the tale. The hero's stodgy behavior and irritating inner dialogue drove me nuts. Sometimes, similes and metaphors would go on for pages and I'd forget who was talking. Other times, there would be a dramatic chapter ending, but you wouldn't find out what it was foreshadowing until several chapters later (and by then I'd forget the statement and have to flip back). Further, some chapters or scenes began with a general "he" or "she" and you'd have to deduce who was thinking or being spoken about. Overall, it was just too much work.
I felt that the story was sterile. It was sparkly and full of beautiful words, but there was no warm heart underneath to help me go through pages. It was written in a way to be alluring to readers instead of being written because the author desperately wanted to tell a story.
I am not going to summarize the plot here since many other readers provide great summaries and I skimmed parts and may not do an adequate job. I am writing this for those readers that didn't quite enjoy the novella and wonder why. This is one of those rare occasions where I recognize writer talent, but cannot get through the story. This is getting two stars for the writing and professionalism (no typos jumped out at me), but it lost stars because it lacked storytelling magic for me. I most likely won't be trying another Cecilia Grant novel.
January 21, 2015
This book was such a wonderful surprise! I loved, loved, loved Cecilia Grant's writing style. She has such a strong writing voice and so fitting for an HR. I am tired of HRs that read like CRs. What I need is more books like this one. I can only compare it to writers such as Mary Balogh or Courtney Milan that write mature HRs for clever women. Many thanks to my friend Jill for the great rec.
The only thing I can complain about is that the story took place in three days. I prefer longer timelines in books, but even that was realistically handled. That's why I loved the ending and I appreciate the way CG handled it.
That's the kind of book I've been looking for in the last two months and haven't been able to find. I'm starting the next one immediately!
The only thing I can complain about is that the story took place in three days. I prefer longer timelines in books, but even that was realistically handled. That's why I loved the ending and I appreciate the way CG handled it.
That's the kind of book I've been looking for in the last two months and haven't been able to find. I'm starting the next one immediately!
December 29, 2021
Delightful! Such an engaging writing style and a really lovely Christmas romance. Perfect holiday reread material.
December 20, 2017
Another strange one from this author. She really knows how to create repressed, uptight MCs!
It was actually quite a sweet story, although I never like it when the heroine has to do all the running, which was the case here.
The hero was a repressed gentleman so bound by convention and good manners that he had forgotten how to be light-hearted and how to have fun. The heroine was an unconventionally-raised girl who gradually melts his cold, rather judgemental heart.
He really did have a poker up his arse, and there was no doubt he was the brother of the uptight, repressed heroine in A Lady Awakened. What a family!
All the same, it was cute and not long enough for me to get seriously annoyed with the hero.
I seem to be reading all these books with heroes needing rescuing from themselves, and our heroines always there, ready to do the job. Is that what women are meant for? Oh well, it was still a cute book.
It was actually quite a sweet story, although I never like it when the heroine has to do all the running, which was the case here.
The hero was a repressed gentleman so bound by convention and good manners that he had forgotten how to be light-hearted and how to have fun. The heroine was an unconventionally-raised girl who gradually melts his cold, rather judgemental heart.
He really did have a poker up his arse, and there was no doubt he was the brother of the uptight, repressed heroine in A Lady Awakened. What a family!
All the same, it was cute and not long enough for me to get seriously annoyed with the hero.
I seem to be reading all these books with heroes needing rescuing from themselves, and our heroines always there, ready to do the job. Is that what women are meant for? Oh well, it was still a cute book.
October 12, 2015
Historic Romance Engaging!
Well, my friends were right on this one, what an enjoyable read! It's a shorter story, at only 188 pages, but the characters are drawn with considerable depth.
Ms. Grant's writing captivated me from the start, in fact, she is going straight to my "favorite authors" list. The dialogue is fast paced, the characters likeable and realistic. Andrew, the hero, is an honorable man. I especially enjoyed watching him come to grips with the true meaning of honor.
To the best of my recollection there is no foul language in the book, there are one or two intimate scenes, easily skipped.
Well, my friends were right on this one, what an enjoyable read! It's a shorter story, at only 188 pages, but the characters are drawn with considerable depth.
Ms. Grant's writing captivated me from the start, in fact, she is going straight to my "favorite authors" list. The dialogue is fast paced, the characters likeable and realistic. Andrew, the hero, is an honorable man. I especially enjoyed watching him come to grips with the true meaning of honor.
To the best of my recollection there is no foul language in the book, there are one or two intimate scenes, easily skipped.
December 26, 2020
DNF at 60% due to boredom.
December 14, 2021
Character-driven historical romance Christmas novella with tons of tropes. In fact, we thought it might be fun to play Six Degrees of Tropes with this one novella, so here you go:
A virgin hero who gets in a carriage accident only to find himself snowed in and forced to find shelter with a respectable couple so he's got to pretend to be married and has to share only one bed with the unconventional, independent heroine.
We were absolutely charmed by the above collection of tropes and the way Grant pulls them all together in a 120-page novella.
25-Word Summaries:
Meg: When it starts to snow after a carriage accident there’s only one thing you can do: share the only extra bed with your fake husband.
Laine: Lucy is getting to a Christmas house party to husband shop by hook or by crook. Too bad she can't do it by broken cart.
A virgin hero who gets in a carriage accident only to find himself snowed in and forced to find shelter with a respectable couple so he's got to pretend to be married and has to share only one bed with the unconventional, independent heroine.
We were absolutely charmed by the above collection of tropes and the way Grant pulls them all together in a 120-page novella.
25-Word Summaries:
Meg: When it starts to snow after a carriage accident there’s only one thing you can do: share the only extra bed with your fake husband.
Laine: Lucy is getting to a Christmas house party to husband shop by hook or by crook. Too bad she can't do it by broken cart.
January 10, 2022
I am nothing short of a cold-hearted bitch for not giving this five stars because, folks, you would be extremely hard pressed to find a better written novella than this one. I’ve read it a couple of times and I can’t believe I’ve never reviewed it on GRs.
Cecilia Grant is insanely talented (writer of the best (?) romance novel of all time (??), A Lady Awakened). She has a remarkable way with words:
“But looking across the tea table now, it struck her that beauty itself was a virtue to which she had perhaps not accorded sufficient weight in her reckonings on these matters.” (loc 149)
“Lucy slanted another inch toward him, consciousness blooming like a spoonful of cream dropped into tea.” (Loc 171)
“She felt the way she had when he’d first looked at her in the lane: like she was something richer and rarer than a mortal woman. Like she might be a warrior princess, with the falcon on her arm, or a witch equipped with her familiar. Snow swirled down between them and she didn’t know what to say.” (loc 963)
I mean, come on: she’s just so, so good.
The story here is very neat. Our buttoned up, somewhat puritanical and proper hero, Andrew, goes to buy a bird for his sister. He’s very taken with the bird-seller’s daughter, Lucy, and through a series of somewhat improbable events they end up alone together on a road trip with a fake marriage and the old just one bed trick.
They’re very attracted to one another with some push/pull because Andrew is so tied up with his duty and Lucy is more laid back. The chemistry is delicious and this book has one of the best first kiss scenes I’ve ever read. The romance is stitched together wonderfully in the end. It’s fairly low angst and very Christmassy if anyone would like to stretch out the holiday spirit that little bit longer.
So why isn’t it five stars? It’s so close. And, as I have said, I’m being super mean not giving it the accolade. It’s the sex. The sex scene is great, but I wanted more goddamn it! I was left just a little unsatisfied so a spiteful 4.75 stars for Ms Grant.
Cecilia Grant is insanely talented (writer of the best (?) romance novel of all time (??), A Lady Awakened). She has a remarkable way with words:
“But looking across the tea table now, it struck her that beauty itself was a virtue to which she had perhaps not accorded sufficient weight in her reckonings on these matters.” (loc 149)
“Lucy slanted another inch toward him, consciousness blooming like a spoonful of cream dropped into tea.” (Loc 171)
“She felt the way she had when he’d first looked at her in the lane: like she was something richer and rarer than a mortal woman. Like she might be a warrior princess, with the falcon on her arm, or a witch equipped with her familiar. Snow swirled down between them and she didn’t know what to say.” (loc 963)
I mean, come on: she’s just so, so good.
The story here is very neat. Our buttoned up, somewhat puritanical and proper hero, Andrew, goes to buy a bird for his sister. He’s very taken with the bird-seller’s daughter, Lucy, and through a series of somewhat improbable events they end up alone together on a road trip with a fake marriage and the old just one bed trick.
They’re very attracted to one another with some push/pull because Andrew is so tied up with his duty and Lucy is more laid back. The chemistry is delicious and this book has one of the best first kiss scenes I’ve ever read. The romance is stitched together wonderfully in the end. It’s fairly low angst and very Christmassy if anyone would like to stretch out the holiday spirit that little bit longer.
So why isn’t it five stars? It’s so close. And, as I have said, I’m being super mean not giving it the accolade. It’s the sex. The sex scene is great, but I wanted more goddamn it! I was left just a little unsatisfied so a spiteful 4.75 stars for Ms Grant.
October 22, 2018
I love that Cecilia Grant continues to write difficult, nuanced characters, and that their romantic arcs involve acceptance of their difficult, nuanced selves. That she doesn't try to charm readers with her characters demonstrates a level of respect (for readers) that's not found often in the romance genre, and it's a breath of fresh air.
Also, I love Christmas stories that are about forgiveness and good neighborliness, and this manages to incorporate all of the above beautifully into a road trip romance. There is a lot of uncomfortableness in this story, and there's something that borders on dubious consent (and that I hadn't seen in a romance before) that some readers might want to avoid:
Also, I love Christmas stories that are about forgiveness and good neighborliness, and this manages to incorporate all of the above beautifully into a road trip romance. There is a lot of uncomfortableness in this story, and there's something that borders on dubious consent (and that I hadn't seen in a romance before) that some readers might want to avoid:
December 25, 2014
I am a big fan of the author and this wonderful Christmas novella was no exception. It is full of delightful characters and Christmas spirit. Proud , honest and duty bound Andrew Blackshear had always thought his future domestic life would be shared with a "prudently chosen, methodically courted, sensible-natured wife". His encounter with Miss Lucy Sharp, daughter of a baron, turned this vision of domestics upside down. Their reluctant courtship was full of delightful obstacles, and prevalent themes of Christmas - hope and faith.
December 11, 2016
The prequel (.05) book in the Blackshear Family series by Cecilia Grant. Andrew Blackshear journeys to the country to find a falcon for his sister. There he encounters the lovely young Lucy Sharp.
This was a short story. It was a good read but it didn't grabbed my attention as much as I'd have liked. I'm not sure why. The characters were likable and the basic storyline was pleasant. It just didn't have that something that made it really something.
This was a short story. It was a good read but it didn't grabbed my attention as much as I'd have liked. I'm not sure why. The characters were likable and the basic storyline was pleasant. It just didn't have that something that made it really something.
January 1, 2015
Joy to the World!
What a voluptuous sigh of a story.
What a voluptuous sigh of a story.
September 13, 2016
Cecilia Grant is a new-to-me author and her writing style is so different from any other HRs I have read. A Surprisingly engaging novella. RTC ^-^
#low steam
#low steam
August 3, 2020
This novella is perfection. Grant manages to write historically-viable characters with a thematic-nod to empowerment and agency, for both heroine and hero. It's a study in falling in love for all the right reasons: a healthy attraction and a slow movement towards acknowledging and celebrating the best in each other, with a healthy dose of compromise.
December 29, 2023
This book is better than other books. Other romance novels should be made to apologize to this book for saying they are in the same genre. This was the absolute most romantic shit I have read in a long time. I cannot believe I have waited this long to read Cecilia Grant, y’all told me she was excellent and I should have listened faster.
More thoughts soon.
More thoughts soon.
Read
January 5, 2018I rarely read non-Heyer Regencies, but this one came across the recommendation stream so I tried it out. Two agreeable characters, and at least a reasonable excuse for the trend of sex before marriage in modern Regencies. Not really in re-read territory though.
May 21, 2023
in all earnestness: Andrew, I love you.
total comfort read.
total comfort read.
December 28, 2020
A delight.
December 26, 2019
Absolute Christmas perfection. To all those non-Romance followers (most of you, I imagine) this is one of those that might work for you, if you enjoy witty, light historical fiction.
Lucy Sharp, the smart independently minded daughter of an atheist, meets Andrew Blackshear when he comes to buy a falcon from her father. He is the most proper of proper people, the sober eldest son of a large boisterous family. It’s the day before Christmas Eve and because of the poor weather he ends up stuck with them overnight. Horrified at the impropriety on display at the dinner table - talk of nightshirts in front of ladies! - Andrew determines to get away as soon as possible. Except he finds himself trapped into taking Lucy to a house party, and from there everything goes increasingly wrong, until THERE IS ONLY ONE BED.
Intelligent writing, strong dialogue, lots of feeeeelings. I will definitely be reading more Celia Grant ASAP.
Lucy Sharp, the smart independently minded daughter of an atheist, meets Andrew Blackshear when he comes to buy a falcon from her father. He is the most proper of proper people, the sober eldest son of a large boisterous family. It’s the day before Christmas Eve and because of the poor weather he ends up stuck with them overnight. Horrified at the impropriety on display at the dinner table - talk of nightshirts in front of ladies! - Andrew determines to get away as soon as possible. Except he finds himself trapped into taking Lucy to a house party, and from there everything goes increasingly wrong, until THERE IS ONLY ONE BED.
Intelligent writing, strong dialogue, lots of feeeeelings. I will definitely be reading more Celia Grant ASAP.
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