A Christmas Bride
Enchanting is the word I use to describe this romantic holiday read by Jo Ann Ferguson.
Bitter about being burned by his former intended, Timothy concocted a fictitious fiancée, Serenity Adams, to ease the pressure from his grandfather to marry. Now, he and his cousin Felix are on their way to his ancestral home for the holidays and the elder Earl’s birthday celebration. Timothy plans to confess to his grandfather that the fiancée is a farce, but their trip is waylaid when they encounter an overturned carriage. The only survivor of a horrific accident is a young heiress dressed in servant clothing and at a complete loss of memory.
After settling her into a local inn and going in search of help, his best friend, Felix, leverages this fate on his cousin’s behalf. Since she, Timothy, and Felix believe she is a lady’s maid, Felix convinces her to play the part of Timothy’s intended. Left only with a cryptic letter implying she needs funds to support her siblings, she agrees. Upon learning of this scheme, Timothy is against it. But the pressure to please his grandfather wins over, and he escorts “Serenity” to the earl’s estate as his fiancée.
As the season unfolds and Serenity’s insight, charm, beauty, and kind heart captivate him, it’s a challenge to deny his growing feelings. She, too, falls fast. But there is something familiar in this homestead, and when Felix’s father arrives, she is certain they’ve been introduced.
This storyline begins like many historical romances: a nobleman rescuing a damsel in distress.
But it quickly evolves to include mystery, scandal, and vengeful plot twists reminiscent of Daphne du Maurier and Baroness Orczy. This is a festive, fun, fireside read for fans of historical romances (say that ten times fast). While it’s light in tone, it’s rich in imagery. And as often so in historical or heavily researched genres, there tend to be new words. This one contained quite a few I had to learn, and I should thank the author for the vocabulary stretch. But I really liked it!
Source: Gifted
Image Courtesy of Open Road Media
