Title: Once Upon a Dickens Christmas (3 Novellas)
Author: Michelle Griep
Pages: 450
Year: 2019
Genre: Victorian Christmas Romances
Publisher: Shiloh Run Press
Format: eBook (also available in paperback)
Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All of the opinions expressed are my own.
About the book:
Pour yourself a cuppa, get lost in the merriment of the season, and enjoy a Dickensian Christmas in three stories from fan favorite Michelle Griep:
12 Days at Bleakly Manor
Brought together under mysterious circumstances, Clara and Ben discover that what they’ve been striving for isn’t what ultimately matters. What matters most is what Christmas is all about . . . love.
A Tale of Two Hearts
Pleasure seeker William Barlow needs a wife immediately to gain his uncle’s inheritance, and Mina Scott is just the girl to make him look respectable—too bad she turns him down. Ought he give her a second chance?
The Old Lace Shop
Recently widowed Bella White is finally freed from the domination of the overbearing men in her life, but when she enters into a business partnership with the handsome Edmund Archer, she begins to wonder if marriage is worth a second chance.
My review:
This book includes 3 Novellas. There were a few common things running from story to story. I enjoyed watching for them. The main one was the fact that in one way or another Charles Dickens is spoken of or actually appears in each one of them. That made for a fun point to keep my eye out for.
Each of these Novellas is a wonderful Victorian Christmas romance!
12 Days at Bleakly Manor
This book is filled with well developed and very strange characters. I love the two main ones, Clara and Ben. As we get to know them as well as the rest of the assorted house guests at Bleakly Manor a mystery starts to present itself.
Clara and Ben are the only two that know each other before arriving at the manor. It was interesting to see how their past affects their stay at the manor. Their interaction with each of the other house guests was very interesting. At times I wanted to tell some of them to just shut up.
A Tale of Two Hearts
I love both of the main characters. Their hearts are in the right place, but their plans to go about achieving the desired results are very twisted. They needed to learn to trust that God was in control and would take care of things without their schemes. They each dealt with a lot of angst over the deception that they were undertaking. I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that they each had a friend who was speaking encouragement and guidance to them along the way.
The quotes from different books by Charles Dickens at the start of each chapter were great. Most of the books quoted I have never read. I did find myself adding many of them to my to-be-read list.
It was fun to learn about some of the traditions of 1800s Christmas time. I’m very glad that the author included some notes at the end of the book about them.
The Old Lace Shop
I absolutely love 3 special characters in this wonderful story. Bella and Edmund are both trying to move past very painful marriages. They are using different methods to do so but the fact that they aren’t just wallowing in the pain is incredible. I think that my favorite character is Flora though. She is sweet and joyful.
The plot of this story is wonderful. I loved seeing how Bella struggled to try and find a place for herself in the man’s world of business. She had a lot of attitudes in others to try and work her way past. She kept trying to figure it out though.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this collection of Novellas. I’m giving it a rating of 5 stars. I definitely recommend it.
Disclaimer: *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book for free in the hope that I would mention or review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I have done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*
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