Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish (Windham, #4) (The Duke's Daughters, #1)

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Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish (Windham, #4) (Windham #4)

3.88 of 5 stars 3.88 · rating details · 885 ratings · 138 reviews

ALL SHE WANTS IS PEACE AND ANONYMITY...

Lady Sophie Windham has maneuvered a few days to herself at the ducal mansion in London before she must join her family for Christmas in Kent. Suddenly trapped by a London snowstorm, she finds herself with an abandoned baby and only the assistance of a kind, handsome stranger standing between her and complete disaster.

BUT SOPHIE'S HOL...more

Paperback, 391 pages

Published October 4th 2011 by Sourcebooks Casablanca (first published October 1st 2011)

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May 12, 2013 Lady Wesley rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: amz-rev

This is a sweet story about two strangers bonding over an abandoned baby. I liked Sophie and Vim tremendously, and if you've read her brothers' stories in this series you'll enjoy seeing them together. There is, however, a Big Misunderstanding that I didn't really buy, and in addition the hero had held a grudge against the heroine's father for over a decade over what seemed to me a trivial incident.

See my review of the series at http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

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Mar 02, 2013 Cerian rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'd been searching for holiday romances for Christmas when I came across Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish. Lady Sophie is the sensible daughter of a Duke, and is left the reluctant guardian of a baby when the mother (a household servant) flees and abandons her baby. Enter our hero, Vim Chapentier- he steps in and helps Sophie with baby Kit and when there's a snowstorm, he stays at the house and helps her to look after Kit. Vim assumes Sophie is a member of the household staff and he doesn't tell her...more I'd been searching for holiday romances for Christmas when I came across Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish. Lady Sophie is the sensible daughter of a Duke, and is left the reluctant guardian of a baby when the mother (a household servant) flees and abandons her baby. Enter our hero, Vim Chapentier- he steps in and helps Sophie with baby Kit and when there's a snowstorm, he stays at the house and helps her to look after Kit. Vim assumes Sophie is a member of the household staff and he doesn't tell her that he is titled, and heir to a viscountcy.

The first half of this book was brilliantly written. I enjoyed the scenes with Sophie and Vim with Kit. Their fall into love is very believable and sweet. Vim is kind, handsome and thoughtful who truly cares for Kit. Sophie is sweet and caring with a habit of taking in strays. They both enjoy the anonymity of being 'commoners' and the cosy domestic atmosphere they create definitely helps them fall more in love with each other.

Then Sophie's brothers (finally) arrive at the house and aren't impressed when they realise Vima and Sophie have been alone together for several days. They then go to Vim's Uncle's estate in Kent (where Vim was headed originally) and then on to their own familial estate. This is pretty much where I started to enjoy the book less. Sophie was inexplicably stubborn about not marrying Vim, she wasn't forthright and honest with Vim about her feelings, and Vim struggles to understand her actions- as did I, most of the time I just wanted to shake the girl. Sophie often seemed very different, and I was frustrated that Vim wasn't more insistent when he'd compromised Sophie and loved her! Although, I was of course still rooting for them :)
All in all, I found the second half rather frustrating. The secondary characters were well written and rounded. Sometimes I felt that there was way too much information about them squeezed in, but it's part of a series.

I would give this 3.5 stars if I could, but I guess the first half carried it to 4 stars. So, worth a read and enjoyable (less)

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Jan 03, 2013 May Mostly Romance rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical

เป็นหนังสือวันคริสต์มาสที่อ่านช้าไปปีนึง (แต่ไม่มีผลอะไรนะคะ เพราะเป็นเรื่องย้อนยุค ยังไงก็ไม่ทันสมัยอยู่แล้ว) ไม่ได้คิดว่าจะสนุกด้วยซ้ำ เพราะหลังจากชอบงานเล่มแรกที่เกรซ เบอร์โรว์สเขียนแล้วก็ผิดหวังกับงานเล่มต่อ ๆ มา จนถึงเล่มนี้ก็เลยเริ่มถอดใจ

แต่สนุกเกินคาด หลงเสน่ห์ตัวละครเด็กน้อยตั้งแต่หน้าแรก เลยอ่านติดพันอย่างสนุกสนาน แม้เรื่องราวจะไม่มีอะไรเลยก็ตาม แค่ลูกสาวของดยุคที่ต้องมาเลี้ยงทารกวัยหกเดือนที่แม่ทิ้งไป กับชายคนที่รู้วิธีเลี้ยงเด็ก ทั้งคู่จึงได้เจอและพูดคุยกัน ความสัมพันธ์ก็เริ่มพัฒนาจาก...more เป็นหนังสือวันคริสต์มาสที่อ่านช้าไปปีนึง (แต่ไม่มีผลอะไรนะคะ เพราะเป็นเรื่องย้อนยุค ยังไงก็ไม่ทันสมัยอยู่แล้ว) ไม่ได้คิดว่าจะสนุกด้วยซ้ำ เพราะหลังจากชอบงานเล่มแรกที่เกรซ เบอร์โรว์สเขียนแล้วก็ผิดหวังกับงานเล่มต่อ ๆ มา จนถึงเล่มนี้ก็เลยเริ่มถอดใจ

แต่สนุกเกินคาด หลงเสน่ห์ตัวละครเด็กน้อยตั้งแต่หน้าแรก เลยอ่านติดพันอย่างสนุกสนาน แม้เรื่องราวจะไม่มีอะไรเลยก็ตาม แค่ลูกสาวของดยุคที่ต้องมาเลี้ยงทารกวัยหกเดือนที่แม่ทิ้งไป กับชายคนที่รู้วิธีเลี้ยงเด็ก ทั้งคู่จึงได้เจอและพูดคุยกัน ความสัมพันธ์ก็เริ่มพัฒนาจากจุดนั้น

ตัวพระนางไม่ได้โดดเด่น หรือน่าสนใจอะไร แต่เนื้อเรื่องอ่านไปได้เรื่อย ๆ จุดที่ดีที่สุดก็คือ คนแต่งทำให้เราตกหลุมรักเจ้า "My Lord Baby" คนนี้ได้เหมือนกับที่พระเอกและนางเอกตกหลุมรักเขา เรียกว่าอ่านไปอินไปขนาดอยากมีลูกเองเลยนะ (ถ้าน่ารักได้อย่างเด็กคนนี้ โดยที่ไม่ต้องคลอดเอง หรือเลี้ยงเองตลอดเวลา)

เป็นเรื่องที่เด็กน้อยขโมยซีน ขนาดว่าฉากหวานซึ้งระหว่างพระนางก็ไม่อาจทำให้เราละความสนใจจากเจ้าหนูนี่ได้ เรียกว่าถ้ากล้องแพนไปที่ตัวละครอื่น เราก็ละความสนใจไปจากเรื่องทันที

แม้พระนางจะยังไม่ได้ใจ หรือเนื้อเรื่องไม่น่าสนใจเพียงพอ แต่เล่มนี้จุดประกายความหวังของเราให้กลับมากับงานเขียนของเกรซ เบอร์โรว์สค่ะ

คะแนนที่ 63(less)

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Nov 29, 2012 Sophia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

This was a new to me author that I grabbed up the book to satisfy my holiday read fetish this time of year. I'm a big fan of historical romances and find they make for good holiday fodder as well with all the old traditions a part of the story. Added to the historical holiday fun, this enjoyable romp through the Regency era got a bit steamy and that's without all the mistletoe decorating the houses featured in the story.

Lady Sophia Windham, a duke's daughter who is well past her youth and settli...more This was a new to me author that I grabbed up the book to satisfy my holiday read fetish this time of year. I'm a big fan of historical romances and find they make for good holiday fodder as well with all the old traditions a part of the story. Added to the historical holiday fun, this enjoyable romp through the Regency era got a bit steamy and that's without all the mistletoe decorating the houses featured in the story.

Lady Sophia Windham, a duke's daughter who is well past her youth and settling into the role of dutiful daughter who cares for charity work, strays and her family's needs, decides that she has earned some time to herself. Sophie tricks her family into believing that she has stayed in town visiting neighbors after her parents leave for the country house, but really she is planning to stay in the town house and enjoy some peace and quiet all to herself where she doesn't have to see her parents and older brothers who are all happily married when she is disheartened of ever finding someone to love her.

Sophie is not alone for long due to a set of circumstances that result from a housemaid ditching her baby son with Sophie and a storm bringing a chance traveler in the form of Vim Charpentier who knows about babies and needs a place to stay.

Sophie chucks propriety out the window and hides the fact that she's a duke's daughter so that Vim will stay and help her with the baby and maybe fulfill a few of her romantic wishes. Vim keeps back things from Sophie too and finds himself just as willing to toss aside society's rules to be with Sophie and the baby even after he shows her the ropes.

Vim and Sophie share an intimate and passionate idyll for a few days before reality in the form of her brothers comes crashing in. And then what seemed so simple and right becomes complicated and all wrong setting them along paths that will permanently separate them unless fate or their conniving families take a hand.

The plot was one that I found mostly enjoyable and a little bit frustrating. It was enjoyable in that I really enjoyed the characters and most aspects of the story line. Sophie is, up to this point, a virginal heroine, but she is not silly and swooning. Sophie is full of common sense and has a selfless giving spirit. When the story begins, I loved this couple together. They shared more than just physical attraction. They were really good together and for each other. I loved the blend of sweet with hot moments. This is why I found their decision to part so frustrating and I really didn't get Sophie's about face in her feelings for Vim. I just couldn't understand what was keeping them apart and I spent quite a bit of the story growling for them to just T-A-L-K. It was only toward the end that I was given the information that explained their hang-ups. Somehow, I think I would have been much less frustrated if I understood early on that Sophie misunderstood Vim's intentions. The author didn't say (or maybe she did and I missed it) that Sophie thought Vim was insulting her with a sordid offer instead of an offer of marriage when he thought her a servant and that it seemed like after he discovered her real persona that he changed it to offer marriage. Now if I had known she thought that, then I would have understood her change in attitude for him. And on top of that, he hadn't mentioned the 'l' word (no the other 'l' word 'love') when he did offer marriage and I can't fault the girl for turning down what she thought was a marriage offer out of duty.
The escapades of their respective families were the lighter part of the story and great fun to read especially when they were conniving on Vin and Sophie's part. Little baby Kit deserves a mention along with Sophie's menagerie of orphaned animals (now doesn't a three-legged male tom cat named Elizabeth just strike you as funny?) as a wonderful part of the plot.

While it is technically the first book in a sub-series, The Duke's Daughters, it probably would have been better to read after the three books from the Windham series featuring the brothers. I had no trouble reading the book without having read the others, but there were several hints to things from the other books that now I will definitely being going back to read.

I can recommend this one if you're looking for a light Regency holiday romp full of steamy romance and fun family interference.(less)

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Oct 29, 2012 Connie Fischer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Sophie is staying for a short while at her family's home in London for some quiet time to herself before joining the rest of her family in Kent for Christmas. She meets Vim when she has offered to hold a baby for a woman who never returns. As she has never handled babies before, she is at a loss as how to care for him. Vim appears to be an expert and lends a hand. A snowstorm has shut down most of London and the surrounding areas and promises to only get worse. Vim helps Sophie get to her home w...more

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Aug 07, 2012 Beverly Diehl rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, historical-fiction, christmas

She had me at dirty nappies (diapers). A hot hero coming to the rescue of a somewhat plain Jane heroine who has been left with an abandoned baby belonging to her maidservant.

I've never read a book before where the device that brought the lovers together was an abandoned baby, but it worked for me. While Sophie has a habit of picking up strays, she knows nothing about caring for babies. Vim actually has much experience with babies, and since he's in no hurry to get to where he should be going, he...more

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Jan 05, 2012 Jane rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

This one started off strongly with an intelligent, practical heroine and a hero who likes (and knows how to deal with) babies. But by about midway I was losing interest. I skimmed a bit to the big reveal when her brothers discover all and thought it would pick up again, but then came the double whammo of irritating.

First was Sophie's turning Vim's marriage proposal down. As with any historical I truly hate it when the heroine is perfectly willing to have sex with the hero (when she's never done...more

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Dec 25, 2011 drey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads, romance-historical-regency

drey’s thoughts: If you’re a fan of regency romance and you haven’t picked up Grace Burrowes’ books yet, well, you should go remedy that oversight immediately! Start with The Heir. I’ll wait…

Got it? Good. Burrowes’ previous books so far have been about Sophie’s brothers. This one’s all Sophie, though her brothers do play a part in the second half of the book. Be prepared to love her as much as fans love the Windham boys…

Sophie is hiding out in the family’s London home when she’s stuck with a bab...more

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Dec 25, 2011 Kendra rated it 4 of 5 stars

Please see full review for excerpt and highlights at Reader's Edyn: http://bit.ly/sgQLnP

Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish was a first for me reading Grace Burrowes. I am an all-time sucker for historical romance and have been craving a good historical read for some time. I got side-tracked by paranormal romance for a while and am currently reading urban fantasy. Weeee! What a jump I have made from my historical romance comfort zone. But … I was so happy with Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish. And it came...more Please see full review for excerpt and highlights at Reader's Edyn: http://bit.ly/sgQLnP

Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish was a first for me reading Grace Burrowes. I am an all-time sucker for historical romance and have been craving a good historical read for some time. I got side-tracked by paranormal romance for a while and am currently reading urban fantasy. Weeee! What a jump I have made from my historical romance comfort zone. But … I was so happy with Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish. And it came at a terrific time, blending in with the holiday season all around.

Sophie is one of five daughters of a Duke with a few older brothers thrown into the mix. She is known as the family peace-maker of sorts and is constantly giving to others; rescuing them you might say. She generally receives little in return aside from her own altruistic feelings. But she definitely wishes for more. Sophie longs for a great love, happiness, and a family of her own. Sounds within reach, yes? Not so much when you have suffered loss like Sophie has. She has safeguarded her own heart from protection to the point that she may well let the greatest possibility of love walk out of her life without a fight. And Sophie has a secret she has not confessed to Vim – she is in fact a Lady, something Vim has not yet deduced. The problem is that Sophie is enjoying living outside the realm of restrictions a “Lady” is generally bound by.

Vim (we won’t get into his full name - it is a rather large mouthful *snicker*) runs into Sophie somewhat accidentally and ends up switching roles with her – he is now rescuing her in a way. Sophie has found herself with an infant to care for after his mother runs off and leaves him. Vim cannot in good conscience leave Sophie with her young charge and literally no idea what to do in the way of caring for the baby. Vim has pressing business he must attend to, but finds the lure of staying with Sophie and the baby much more to his liking. Time and again he leaves … and returns. But Vim also has been wronged in the past and he too may ultimately lose Sophie if he does not fight for her and make it perfectly clear that he wants her in his life as much more than a passing fling.

Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish is … errr … I am not sure what to call it. It is Book 3 of the Windham Series and book 1 of the sub-series The Duke’s Daughters. I, unfortunately had no idea about this when I started the book. I despise reading out of order, but given that the book is also a first in a series, I was not left feeling too badly from my error. The thing about this book is that it could serve as a stand-alone as well. As I read it, I did have a feeling that I was missing more detail. For example, the short recaps of the brothers and their wives: I felt that there was much more to the stories. I was right. Had I read the first two books in the Windham Series, I would have understood better. But this in not to say that I was confused. The best comparison would be to explain reading Johanna Lindsey’s Malory Novels out of order. For those of you Lindsey fans, I am sure you know exactly what I mean. It can be done, but it is so much better when read in order. I enjoyed the brothers as secondary characters to the point that I know I would very much enjoy their full novels. *whispers* I do intend to correct this folly and read all of the books in the series.

What I disliked about the book was that Vim and Sophie obviously had a strong connection from the beginning. I was a little annoyed that they took so long deciding to be together. At one point I thought Vim had another plan in mind concerning Sophie and the baby, but I was wrong. When my prediction failed to thrive, I nearly gave up hope that the two would wake the heck up and see what was right in front of them. There are some good frustrations when reading, but this was not the case. I think a large portion of the frustration was the unwillingness of the characters to see where they had made mistakes. Had they not been so dang stubborn, they could have been together that much sooner. But hey, HEAs aren’t supposed to be easy, right? I just prefer the conflict to generate from sources other than the character’s own obstinacy.

Overall, Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish was a fun read that did wonders in satisfying my craving for a good historical romance that I could lose myself within. The brothers are a rough and rowdy crowd. And we also meet one of the sisters to some degree who has her own novel. The brief glimpse of the family members as secondary characters was enough to make me want to know more about them. Those looking for a good historical romance series should definitely check out the Windham Series. And to make it easier for you, I have included a list of the books available. (less)

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Dec 05, 2011 Linda Banche rated it 5 of 5 stars

Grace Burrowes's latest Regency historical, LADY SOPHIE'S CHRISTMAS WISH, is a perfect-for-the-season tale of two lonely people who find happiness while stranded in a London snowstorm with a baby.

Duke's daughter Sophie has dreamed of a few days alone away from her large family at her parents' London townhouse. What she didn't expect was to be saddled with her former housemaid's abandoned baby. Even worse, Sophie knows nothing about caring for infants and a blizzard rages outside. Enter Vim (shor...more

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Nov 26, 2011 Marlene rated it 5 of 5 stars

Lady Sophie Windham, who considers herself on the shelf, has schemed to get several days to herself in her family's London mansion, before she must travel to Kent for a family Christmas. Unfortunately, one of the maids deserts her baby in Sophie's care, and Sophie, who knows nothing of babies, is forced to accept the aid of a kind gentleman, Wilhelm "Vim" Lucifer Charpentier. Vim, who is to one day inherit his uncle's estate, has been traveling abroad for years and has returned to help set the e...more

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Nov 21, 2011 Christine Morehouse rated it 5 of 5 stars

A Gem of a Read! a rapturously entertaining story that warm the hearts and just in time to bring in the holiday season with yuletide cheer.

Need a little Christmas right this very minute? In New York Times bestselling author Grace Burrowed LADY SOPHIE’S CHRISTMAS WISH has her heroine wishing for a bit of a break from family obligations but having an unexpected baby thrust into arms this holiday season was not on her Christmas list. This magically enchanting book is guaranteed to entertain reader...more

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Nov 02, 2011 Leanne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Lady Sophie is the perfect lady with a heart of gold. She is quite naive but in a charming way. Her naivety unfortunately lands her in quite the muddle. A lowly member of the household staff has had a baby and Sophie helps the girl to go back home but before she is able to get the girl home the girl leaves Sophie to care for her child forever.
Sophie having no children of her own and having never cared for a child is at a loss of what to do. Luckily for her and Kit, a nice man named Vim has come...more

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Oct 24, 2011 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction-romance, romance

I really liked this book. Sophie had managed to get a few days completely to herself in her parents' home without anyone else around. She ended up with an abandoned baby and was rescued by Vim Charpentier. Thanks to the storm, and the fact she knew nothing about caring for a baby, she was able to talk Vim into staying at the house with her and helping her with the baby. Neither of them had told the other who they really are, so there are no social expectation. The more time they spend together,...more

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Oct 23, 2011 Jo (Mixed Book Bag) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Grace Burrowes’ Regency Romances start with the Duke’s Obsession trilogy featuring the three Windham sons. Book one is The Heir, book two is The Soldier and Book Three, The Virtuoso, has not been released. Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish is the first book about the five Windham sisters.

Sophie is the oldest daughter, the one who never causes her parents’ problems and the one who takes care of everyone. Sophie is dreading Christmas. Even in the middle of her family she feels alone so she delays leav...more

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Oct 02, 2011 Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, holiday, non-erotic

Originally posted at: http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.c...

Alone for a few days in the family’s opulent ducal mansion in London, Sophie sets out to do one of her good deeds and ends up in a crowded stage station with an abandoned, crying baby. Its cries bring Wilhelm (Vim) Charpentier into Sophie’s life and her dreams and wishes long put away bubble up with new hope. This kind man who understands babies and looks at six-month-old baby Kit with affection and approval makes Sophie long for thin...more

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Sep 29, 2011 Bookaholics rated it 4 of 5 stars

Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish by Grace Burrowes
Regency Romance –Oct. 1st, 2011
4 stars

Lady Sophie 's Christmas Wish is the perfect book for the holidays. As a spinster who has given up on love, finds a dashing hero to rescue her.

Lady Sophie is the responsible one in the Ducal family. She secretly dreams of romance but she knows she must be practical. Because there would literally be chaos if someone wasn't there to watch the rest of the family. Her father certainly isn't sensible! But she wants a...more Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish by Grace Burrowes
Regency Romance –Oct. 1st, 2011
4 stars

Lady Sophie 's Christmas Wish is the perfect book for the holidays. As a spinster who has given up on love, finds a dashing hero to rescue her.

Lady Sophie is the responsible one in the Ducal family. She secretly dreams of romance but she knows she must be practical. Because there would literally be chaos if someone wasn't there to watch the rest of the family. Her father certainly isn't sensible! But she wants a break and schemes over the holidays to find some time for solitude. But finds herself with an abandoned baby while stopping at an inn on the way to one of her family residences. There she meets the worldly and single Vim Charpentier who is running from his own secrets. He gallantly show her how to care for an infant and feels obliged to escort her safely to her destination before leaving on his urgent family errand. Sophie enjoys his warm company and decides to hide her identity from him since she enjoys his unaffected companionship. Soon the baby becomes a catalyst for a budding romance and an eventual night of passion when they are snowed in together. But Vim has responsibilities and plans to leave. But before he can do so, Sophie 's protective brothers find her unescorted with Vim which leads Vim and Sophie into very hot water!

I loved the first part of this book. The baby was adorable and I liked how compassionate,honorable, and kind Vim was to Sophie. I also enjoyed their growing passion and the awareness that grew between them. But once Sophie’s brothers discovered them the story gets a bit dull. The obstacle that prevents them from marrying seemed contrived as well as the shameful secret in Vim's past. As with all the author's books, the genuine feelings and developing relationship between the two characters makes it very emotional and worthwhile read. I really cared for both of them and felt they were good friends. In this story, Sophie's brother Valentine is already married but I understand his book will actually come out later this year. I loved revisiting Sophie's brothers but I felt that the second of the story dragged on and could have been shorten. I give this book 4 stars primarily for the first half of the novel which features such a sweet portrayal of growing love that I know romance fans will be hard to put down.

The warm affection between the two characters is poignant and tender. No one does emotional and magical romance like Grace Burrowes!

Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
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Sep 20, 2011 Gaby rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: love-story, romance, summer-reading, historical-romance

A duke's daughter with a heart of gold, Sophie's grown up protected by privilege, wealth and her loving family. She's also a bit of soft touch. When their maid runs off leaving her baby with Lady Sophie at a stagecoach station, Sophie is at a loss. It's fortunate for her that the young Vim Charpentier knows quite a lot about babies and helps her. Sophie somehow invites him to her family London home and as he helps with the baby Kit, Sophie offers him shelter from the storm. Without having made a...more

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Apr 01, 2012 Jesica rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: recommendations, reviewed

Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish should not be confined to the holiday season. All of Grace Burrowes's novels are confections to be savored, but this particular book rivaled even my favorite of hers, The Heir. Unlike so many Christmas-themed romances, the story never felt trite. In fact, the setting neatly establishes a palpable atmosphere: snowy nights, cinnamon-scented homes, and jokes about Father Christmas for misbehaving children (not to mention, wayward adults). It felt like Christmas when I s...more

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Mar 20, 2012 Betty rated it 5 of 5 stars

Lady Sophie Windham has arranged to have a few days to herself at the ducal mansion during the Christmas holidays. She is trapped there by a heavy London snowstorm and cannot meet her family in Kent as planned. One of her friend/servants has abandoned her infant son to Sophia's inexperienced care with no one to assist her. Enter... Vim Charpentier, our hero. Vim has younger sisters and a lot of experience with infants and is more than willing to help and teach Sophia how to care for her charge....more

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Dec 21, 2011 Steamywindows♥♫ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: baby-or-children-factor, author-to-watch, beta-hero, hero-with-bad-relationship-history, historical, kindle, smart-heroine, grovel-worthy

What a lovely Holiday Season read. I chuckled and smiled and sighed my way through this story about a woman who wishes for an answer for her her lonely heart, and low and behold it comes to her in spades! Sophie is a duke's daughter, the eldest of five girls , and sister to 5 brothers. She is not the typical heroine, which is a great deal of the reason I find this book so charming.

Sophie is a kind heart-ed woman, who not only takes in strays, including a 3 legged cat, a half blind draft horse an...more What a lovely Holiday Season read. I chuckled and smiled and sighed my way through this story about a woman who wishes for an answer for her her lonely heart, and low and behold it comes to her in spades! Sophie is a duke's daughter, the eldest of five girls , and sister to 5 brothers. She is not the typical heroine, which is a great deal of the reason I find this book so charming.

Sophie is a kind heart-ed woman, who not only takes in strays, including a 3 legged cat, a half blind draft horse and another draft horse who is scared to death of a whip. She is also the family's stalwart champion who at 27, decides she wants something for herself. She finds herself suddenly in possession of the tweenie's illegitimate baby, and Sophie knows naught what to do. Literally. Along comes our hero, Vim who does.

Vim is a handsome, fellow who has spent the last ten years trotting around the world, and has finally come home due to some pretty humorous machinations by his uncle and aunt. Vim is the kind of hero that makes you go awe, what a guy! He knows a lot about babies and isn't afraid to show it. Even willingly changes the nappy!

This story is filled with wonderful descriptions of relationships but should not be considered by the baby-faint-of-heart. Some of my favourite passages were simple events, seen through the hero or heroine's eyes and made wondrous - I still think of Vim watching Sophie as she fell in love with the baby. This is not a book for those seeking a holiday action adventure. Although there is a snow storm or ten, the most intense action comes when Vim, riding the big lily-livered draft horse discovers the horse has only pretended to come up lame so that he didn't have to leave the vicinity of his beloved mistress.

I did get a little weary of the she or he says one thing, only to be misunderstood by the other. The hero had a little too much of a flair for hanging of to old wounds for my tastes, but he pulled a great grovel off in the end. So I forgive him.

Great story. I read the Heir, but haven't read the next two. Think I will.
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Dec 01, 2011 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Vim has traveled around the world to try to forget an unpleasant Christmas memory. After receiving letters detailing his aunt and uncle’s decline, he is finally traveling home this Christmas to visit. At least he starts to travel home, but is stuck in London due to a huge snowstorm. He helps out a young woman with a crying infant at an inn, only to discover that the baby has been abandoned and the woman knows nothing about children.

Putting his knowledge about babies (obtained from helping with h...more

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Nov 14, 2012 Rebecca (everyday reader) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle-books, christmas, historical-romance

Not revealing their respective titles, brings Vim and Sophie together to find love and to care for baby Kit. Sophie is the sensible one in the family and the least likely to cause a scandal. So when she takes on a foundling and invites a stranger to stay in her totally empty house right before Christmas, it sets up a surprising outcome from these seemingly innocuous actions. Sparks fly, old wounds are healed, a family is started, and Christmas miracles happen. Great read!!

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Dec 31, 2012 Lynne Tull rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: regency-romance

Grace Burrowes said in her Acknowledgements that she really enjoyed writing this book. I can honestly say that I did not enjoy reading it. I can usually find some redeeming part of any book. Okay, this is it. I can truly say that I like all of the characters. However, I do not like the stories provided for them. In this particular book, I was bored with changing the baby's nappies and tired of the three brothers sitting around drinking and talking about their wives and babies. I didn't mind the...more

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Dec 24, 2012 Muccamukk rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance

I finished this book, but mostly out of conviction that surely something interesting was bound to happen eventually.

It did not.

The first half was all the main couple looking after a foundling baby, in excruciating detail. Meanwhile, the supposedly well-travelled man-of-the world hero completely failed to realise that the educated lady he was with was in fact not a servant, even after she described her privileged childhood at length, and mentioned several brothers with army commissions. I guess i...more

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Dec 19, 2011 Tiffany Day rated it 5 of 5 stars

Like most in the genre, LSCW works some standard cliches: it's set in the Regency, it's repetitive, and of course - it's Christmas... that said, it also breaks the mold. The Hero, while too good to be true, is not the standard rake-that-only-the-heroine-can-reform. He's sensitive. Considerate. Good with babies (and oh my - there's a LOT of baby in this book). The heroine isn't completely standard, either. What really sells this story is the evocative storytelling Burrowes establishes. She comple...more

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Nov 14, 2011 Marg rated it 4 of 5 stars

There are a couple of things that you need to know if you are even thinking about reading this book.

The first is that if you don't like reading about babies in your romances, then this is not the book for you. The young boy, Kit, gets a lot of air time in the pages of this book - a LOT of page time. There were also times when I wasn't sure that his age was consistent with the developmental milestones that were talked about.

The second thing to be aware of is that even though this book is being re...more

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Dec 22, 2011 Elizabeth Nesbit-comer rated it 2 of 5 stars

this book started out pretty good with an adorably baby and endearing man who was willing to help a lady learn how to care for the poor orphan, but about halfway through I started skimming. The language flowed so well in some parts, but was impossible to follow in other parts. A weird mix on new and old english that often clashed.
By the third time he was leaving I wanted to throw him out the door.... but never fear he would be back...again..then leave...come back... yup you guessed it he would...more

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Nov 25, 2011 Anna (Bobs Her Hair) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Historical romance fans

Shelves: historical-romance

An endearing historical romance of two people brought together by a baby and snowstorm to grant one usually ‘sensible’ lady her Christmas wish. This novella is amusing, touching, and an enjoyable holiday romance.

The Story
Sophie Windham collects stray and takes care of those in need. She has been there for her family. She’s the reliable and sensible daughter of a duke and duchess. As Christmas approaches she will have a chance to feel what it’s like to have a family.

At the start of the story, a...more

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Nov 11, 2011 Brittany rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-challenge

4 1/2 out of 5

I loved finally seeing things from one of the women's point of view! Sophia is sick of seeing all the happy families forming. She conceiving of a plan to get a few quiet weeks in London by herself and it turns out to be anything but peaceful. She is stuck with a maids baby boy, and Vim is at the right place at the right time because Sophia knows nothing about taking care of a baby. I loved seeing a male being so calm and wonderful with a baby. The romance was sweet and felt so natu...more

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About Grace Burrowes

Grace Burrowes started writing as an antidote to empty nest and soon found it an antidote to life in general. She is the sixth out of seven children, raised in the rural surrounds of central Pennsylvania. Early in life she spent a lot of time reading romance novels and practicing the piano. Her first career was as a technical writer and editor in the Washington, DC, area, a busy job that nonethele...more

More about Grace Burrowes...

Books by Grace Burrowes

The Heir (Duke's Obsession, #1) (Windham, #1)

The Soldier (Duke's Obsession, #2) (Windham, #2)

Lady Maggie's Secret Scandal (The Duke's Daughters, #2; Windham, #5)

The Virtuoso (Duke's Obsession, #3) (Windham, #3)

Lady Louisa's Christmas Knight (The Duke's Daughters, #3) (Windham, #6)

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Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish (Windham, #4) (Windham #4)

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