Silver Bells

Lord Hector Stockwick came to the Vynes to spend Christmas with his sister, but she has yet to arrive. Ruby Roper, a widow, has come to the Vynes in hope that her uncle will protect her and her young son. Childhood friends, Hector and Ruby renew their acquaintance. He also befriends Ruby’s son Pip. When he realizes that Uncle’s plans for Ruby and Pip are less than honorable, he is determined to protect both of them. Can he keep them safe? Will Ruby trust him? Silver Bells is a lovely Christmas story. There is a bit of everything - drama, mystery, betrayal, twists and turns, surprises, and romance. Hector, Ruby, and Pip fit together perfectly. Pip is an active happy child. Lord Vynes is a bitter man who wants only to use Ruby to settle a debt. Boy, does he get a surprise. I enjoyed and recommend this quick entertaining read. What happened to the silver bell? That’s a surprise, too. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

The Power of One Little Word -- The title and description of this book make you think it is a Christmas novella, but it isn't really in the sense that we readers believe that to be. Rather, the story simply takes place at Christmas. I have read a number of books by this author, and they're either hit or miss for me, I’ve found, with little middle ground. I thought this book might be veering in the wrong direction when I read one little word that described one of the hero's preferred activities. What might that be? When the hero shows up for what he believes will be a Christmas house party at his sister's father-in-law's house and his sister isn't already there, the hero thinks that perhaps he should have stayed in London and enjoyed the holiday with his friends doing a number of unsavory activities, including “wh0ring.” I prefer historical heroes not to partake in that activity, even if they are rakes and rogues! (Enjoy the willing widows instead!) But I'm glad I kept going with this story, which ended up to be touching, about a widow trying to protect her son when others who should have cared about them clearly did not, only thinking about themselves and “the family.” I particularly enjoyed the secondary characters, including Parker (the hero’s valet) and Pip (the heroine’s son). Though authors often depict valets and children as 2D side characters, both felt like 3D characters. In fact, I think Parker deserves his own book! I think he might have a colorful history and deserves a lady who will appreciate all his talents! Little Pip was sweet and brave in his own way. The one thing I didn't think was well developed in this book was the hero's transition from confirmed bachelor to wannabe family man. That should have been shown more fully, although the extenuating circumstances could bring about an abrupt shift (though it would have been nice to see him heading that way before the horrible incident). After my first initial repugnance describing the hero’s preferred activities, I actually ended up completely enjoying this book. -- I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

Surprise, surprise when Hector arrives at The Vynes expecting to spend the holidays with his sister and her family only to find they've not arrived and the poor weather does not bode well for their arrival. Instead, only Ruby, Lord Vyne's widowed niece, and her young son arrive. In this short story, the author manages to create a gothic-like atmosphere in the large, nearly empty house full of secrets, some suspense, an unexpected character revelation, and a satisfying ending. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.