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The Christmas Bride
Silas Stanway is furious! How did he end up playing escort to Tilly at a Christmas wedding in Spain? He expects her to be scheming and desperate. Instead she's sweet and honest. But why does she need to hire a man?
When they have to share a room, Silas assumes this must be part of his escort duties. But he's wanted Tilly from the moment they met--whatever the consequences….
When they have to share a room, Silas assumes this must be part of his escort duties. But he's wanted Tilly from the moment they met--whatever the consequences….
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 1, 2006
13 people are currently reading
115 people want to read
About the author
Penny Jordan
1,126 books668 followersPenelope Jones Halsall
aka Caroline Courtney, Annie Groves, Lydia Hitchcock, Melinda Wright
Penelope "Penny" Jones was born on November 24, 1946 at about seven pounds in a nursing home in Preston, Lancashire, England. She was the first child of Anthony Winn Jones, an engineer, who died at 85, and his wife Margaret Louise Groves Jones. She has a brother, Anthony, and a sister, Prudence "Pru".
She had been a keen reader from the childhood - her mother used to leave her in the children's section of their local library whilst she changed her father's library books. She was a storyteller long before she began to write romantic fiction. At the age of eight, she was creating serialized bedtime stories, featuring make-believe adventures, for her younger sister Prue, who was always the heroine. At eleven, she fell in love with Mills & Boon, and with their heroes. In those days the books could only be obtained via private lending libraries, and she quickly became a devoted fan; she was thrilled to bits when the books went on full sale in shops and she could have them for keeps.
Penny left grammar school in Rochdale with O-Levels in English Language, English Literature and Geography. She first discovered Mills & Boon books, via a girl she worked with. She married Steve Halsall, an accountant and a "lovely man", who smoked and drank too heavily, and suffered oral cancer with bravery and dignity. Her husband bought her the small electric typewriter on which she typed her first novels, at a time when he could ill afford it. He died at the beginning of 21st century.
She earned a living as a writer since the 1970s when, as a shorthand typist, she entered a competition run by the Romantic Novelists' Association. Although she didn't win, Penny found an agent who was looking for a new Georgette Heyer. She published four regency novels as Caroline Courtney, before changing her nom de plume to Melinda Wright for three air-hostess romps and then she wrote two thrillers as Lydia Hitchcock. Soon after that, Mills and Boon accepted her first novel for them, Falcon's Prey as Penny Jordan. However, for her more historical romance novels, she adopted her mother's maiden-name to become Annie Groves. Almost 70 of her 167 Mills and Boon novels have been sold worldwide.
Penny Halsall lived in a neo-Georgian house in Nantwich, Cheshire, with her Alsatian Sheba and cat Posh. She worked from home, in her kitchen, surrounded by her pets, and welcomed interruptions from her friends and family.
aka Caroline Courtney, Annie Groves, Lydia Hitchcock, Melinda Wright
Penelope "Penny" Jones was born on November 24, 1946 at about seven pounds in a nursing home in Preston, Lancashire, England. She was the first child of Anthony Winn Jones, an engineer, who died at 85, and his wife Margaret Louise Groves Jones. She has a brother, Anthony, and a sister, Prudence "Pru".
She had been a keen reader from the childhood - her mother used to leave her in the children's section of their local library whilst she changed her father's library books. She was a storyteller long before she began to write romantic fiction. At the age of eight, she was creating serialized bedtime stories, featuring make-believe adventures, for her younger sister Prue, who was always the heroine. At eleven, she fell in love with Mills & Boon, and with their heroes. In those days the books could only be obtained via private lending libraries, and she quickly became a devoted fan; she was thrilled to bits when the books went on full sale in shops and she could have them for keeps.
Penny left grammar school in Rochdale with O-Levels in English Language, English Literature and Geography. She first discovered Mills & Boon books, via a girl she worked with. She married Steve Halsall, an accountant and a "lovely man", who smoked and drank too heavily, and suffered oral cancer with bravery and dignity. Her husband bought her the small electric typewriter on which she typed her first novels, at a time when he could ill afford it. He died at the beginning of 21st century.
She earned a living as a writer since the 1970s when, as a shorthand typist, she entered a competition run by the Romantic Novelists' Association. Although she didn't win, Penny found an agent who was looking for a new Georgette Heyer. She published four regency novels as Caroline Courtney, before changing her nom de plume to Melinda Wright for three air-hostess romps and then she wrote two thrillers as Lydia Hitchcock. Soon after that, Mills and Boon accepted her first novel for them, Falcon's Prey as Penny Jordan. However, for her more historical romance novels, she adopted her mother's maiden-name to become Annie Groves. Almost 70 of her 167 Mills and Boon novels have been sold worldwide.
Penny Halsall lived in a neo-Georgian house in Nantwich, Cheshire, with her Alsatian Sheba and cat Posh. She worked from home, in her kitchen, surrounded by her pets, and welcomed interruptions from her friends and family.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
March 21, 2013
I read it but it was pretty lame. It was sort of like she forced the characters to fit into the molds and actions she wanted for the story but their motivations etc., were lame and unbelievable. Every bit of Silas believing she was lying about why she wanted to pay for an escort was just stupid and her reaction to his revelation was OTT and unbelievable.
Actually I don't really get what everyone sees in this author. Sorry.
Actually I don't really get what everyone sees in this author. Sorry.
June 9, 2021
Silas Stanway is furious! How did he end up playing escort to Tilly at a Christmas wedding in Spain? He expects her to be scheming and desperate. Instead she's sweet and honest. But why does she need to hire a man?
When they have to share a room, Silas assumes this must be part of his escort duties. But he's wanted Tilly from the moment they met--whatever the consequences
When they have to share a room, Silas assumes this must be part of his escort duties. But he's wanted Tilly from the moment they met--whatever the consequences
December 29, 2020
Man pasirodė nuobodi. Kažkaip ir viekėjai nieko isskirtinio, tokie beveidziai.
February 1, 2016
I didn't recall that I'd read this book before I started reading it this holiday season but only a few pages in and I remembered. I remembered liking it last time I read it and so I continued. I enjoyed it this time around too.
It's a light read which is expected from a Harlequin book but I always enjoy the author, Penny Jordan and I think this one held up to her others of this style.
The only real critique I have with the book is the how weak some of the secondary characters are. I get that they are suppose to be shallow people but I felt that Ms. Jordan could have written them with more depth. Also the soon-to-be sisters-in-law are written as very stereotypical southern Americans.
But overall I enjoyed the Christmas romance.
It's a light read which is expected from a Harlequin book but I always enjoy the author, Penny Jordan and I think this one held up to her others of this style.
The only real critique I have with the book is the how weak some of the secondary characters are. I get that they are suppose to be shallow people but I felt that Ms. Jordan could have written them with more depth. Also the soon-to-be sisters-in-law are written as very stereotypical southern Americans.
But overall I enjoyed the Christmas romance.
December 10, 2014
Το πρώτο μου άρλεκιν !!Χιόνια , ένα κάστρο στην ισπανία , χριστουγεννιάτικη ατμόσφαιρα και έρωτας .Δεν ξέρω αν η ιστορία αξίζει 4 αστεράκια αλλά με έκανε να θέλω να διαβάσω κι άλλα παρόμοια βιβλία οπότε και μόνο γι αυτό τα αξίζει . Άνετα μπορεί να γίνει μια χαλαρή ρομαντική ταινία για τα Χριστούγεννα ...
September 23, 2023
September Readathon
2+
Christmas in September -- why not, it's already cramming every store shelf. That and I'm determined to read every category in my current pile for the readathon and I have two PJ Christmas books among them, so away we go.
The hero is played too heavy (remote, insightful, cutting, typical) and comes on strong -- rudely, crudely strong -- at the start to have such a quick turnaround into besotted. The heroine doesn't change much at all, but I could have used a bit of backbone against her mother, more confident in her own wants, and less flibberty-gibberty-ness over the oh-so-cliched reasons and why they have their big fight.
There's no depth really in the characters. They know it's right, right from the start. They do very little the book is supposed to be about, and very little at all when I think about it, but we do get a lot of descriptions of room interiors and them telling themselves not to care or be attracted and then to be heckin' attracted and act on it by turns.
Jordan goes back a long way; I haven't read any of her older stuff I don't think. I also think her sensibilities and go-to tropes weren't a fit to a more "now" story, because I got the feeling she (or editors) wanted this to be a more modern romance -- see: they're gonna have sex before a wedding or even a commitment -- and she figured that meant filling almost every page with the characters reacting to and reflecting on wanting one another, sexually, in sexual ways, the ways that people who are horny and want sex do.
Give me a good sex scene and even some raunch, fine by me. But their repeated "wow I'm hard now because I'm a typical heterosexual male and this super curvy lip-trembling woman has me HOT" internal asides got downright goofy.
I do wonder if the hero's uneven characterization is similarly caused. Jordan sat down and started hammering out another book with the old-style leads she would write, and then remembered oh yes, this is a more modern, sensitive, show-the-reader-he's-such man, and the heroine needs some feminist notions to pronounce. And why go back and finesse it when you can simply plow forward and make him that way from that point on.
It's a silly Christmas plot so I forgive it a lot. The secondary characters were stock, hardly drawn, Jordan's idea of Americans kind of hilarious and that old-school Mills & Boon "if you want someone coarse and racy, make them an American" way. The heroine's mother was a drag and I hope the heroine never gives in or feels so sorry for and protective of her again.
Super convenient the hero is secretly quite wealthy thanks to grandparents, but again, that's a silly sort-of Cinderella / Christmas / Harlequin for you. I don't mind.
After his hard-bitten start, the hero does turn all full of love and forever and mush, and it's sweet. The heroine responds to this, nicely and naturally, and they and their wanted four kids will have a nice and wholesome life (the couple's filled with sex and thinking about sex, we must expect lol).
2+
Christmas in September -- why not, it's already cramming every store shelf. That and I'm determined to read every category in my current pile for the readathon and I have two PJ Christmas books among them, so away we go.
The hero is played too heavy (remote, insightful, cutting, typical) and comes on strong -- rudely, crudely strong -- at the start to have such a quick turnaround into besotted. The heroine doesn't change much at all, but I could have used a bit of backbone against her mother, more confident in her own wants, and less flibberty-gibberty-ness over the oh-so-cliched reasons and why they have their big fight.
There's no depth really in the characters. They know it's right, right from the start. They do very little the book is supposed to be about, and very little at all when I think about it, but we do get a lot of descriptions of room interiors and them telling themselves not to care or be attracted and then to be heckin' attracted and act on it by turns.
Jordan goes back a long way; I haven't read any of her older stuff I don't think. I also think her sensibilities and go-to tropes weren't a fit to a more "now" story, because I got the feeling she (or editors) wanted this to be a more modern romance -- see: they're gonna have sex before a wedding or even a commitment -- and she figured that meant filling almost every page with the characters reacting to and reflecting on wanting one another, sexually, in sexual ways, the ways that people who are horny and want sex do.
Give me a good sex scene and even some raunch, fine by me. But their repeated "wow I'm hard now because I'm a typical heterosexual male and this super curvy lip-trembling woman has me HOT" internal asides got downright goofy.
I do wonder if the hero's uneven characterization is similarly caused. Jordan sat down and started hammering out another book with the old-style leads she would write, and then remembered oh yes, this is a more modern, sensitive, show-the-reader-he's-such man, and the heroine needs some feminist notions to pronounce. And why go back and finesse it when you can simply plow forward and make him that way from that point on.
It's a silly Christmas plot so I forgive it a lot. The secondary characters were stock, hardly drawn, Jordan's idea of Americans kind of hilarious and that old-school Mills & Boon "if you want someone coarse and racy, make them an American" way. The heroine's mother was a drag and I hope the heroine never gives in or feels so sorry for and protective of her again.
Super convenient the hero is secretly quite wealthy thanks to grandparents, but again, that's a silly sort-of Cinderella / Christmas / Harlequin for you. I don't mind.
After his hard-bitten start, the hero does turn all full of love and forever and mush, and it's sweet. The heroine responds to this, nicely and naturally, and they and their wanted four kids will have a nice and wholesome life (the couple's filled with sex and thinking about sex, we must expect lol).
November 14, 2018
....who the hell are we rooting for in this book? Everyone kinda sucks. Everyone has hidden agendas and is really rich except for our heroine who is bland and toast. The mother sucks and the heroine defending her mother sucks. The villains weren’t really that villainy cause the author was too busy have repeat conversations! Skip this for Christmas.
March 5, 2019
Penny Jordan is the queen of the Presents line. I know the romance is misunderstanding trope is often used in romance, but it works well in this one. An alpha male is the tarnished hero, while the heroine is sweet, trusting, and naive. Enjoyable and fast read.
July 21, 2020
Sounds so good but is not. Lots of explicit encounters and scant character development and plain, basic plot.
February 16, 2015
This is a lovely, heartwarming romance written to be read at Christmas time – I read it in February but it still cheered up those wintry days.
The story concerns Tilly (a big city banker) who needs a date to take to her mother’s wedding (for reasons that even Jordan’s narrator states that the is unable to explain!) and so uses an escort agency. She ends up with Silas (the brother of the original escort) and he really doesn’t want to be there . He’s also not a very good escort – criticising Tilly for needing to use the services of an escort agency in the first place and accusing her of treating him like a prostitute. Poor old Tilly doesn’t know whether she’s coming or going and she doesn’t even want to have sex with him anyway. In Tilly’s shoes, most women would have sacked their “escort” and complained to the agency; but not Tilly – oh no – she’s made of sterner stuff than that and doesn’t give up so easily. The romance then moves easily through all the usual tropes – spending Christmas in a romantic castle – ending up sharing the same bedroom for slightly dubious reasons and a quick misunderstanding at the end before the inevitable happy ending. I’m not doing justice to the story, I know, but it really is a lovely romance this one – perfect for reading any time of year.
The story concerns Tilly (a big city banker) who needs a date to take to her mother’s wedding (for reasons that even Jordan’s narrator states that the is unable to explain!) and so uses an escort agency. She ends up with Silas (the brother of the original escort) and he really doesn’t want to be there . He’s also not a very good escort – criticising Tilly for needing to use the services of an escort agency in the first place and accusing her of treating him like a prostitute. Poor old Tilly doesn’t know whether she’s coming or going and she doesn’t even want to have sex with him anyway. In Tilly’s shoes, most women would have sacked their “escort” and complained to the agency; but not Tilly – oh no – she’s made of sterner stuff than that and doesn’t give up so easily. The romance then moves easily through all the usual tropes – spending Christmas in a romantic castle – ending up sharing the same bedroom for slightly dubious reasons and a quick misunderstanding at the end before the inevitable happy ending. I’m not doing justice to the story, I know, but it really is a lovely romance this one – perfect for reading any time of year.
February 16, 2016
Silas is a jerk to Tilly at the beginning. It's pretty bad behavior considering she is his client. He really doesn't want to be an escort and takes his distaste out on sweet, unsuspecting Tilly. Although Silas has professional and personal reasons for assuming the temporary role, his acting skills are not up to par. What he can't hide are his growing feelings and attraction for Tilly. Despite his subterfuge, I warmed up to Silas just as he did to Tilly. Their romantic, whirlwind courtship ends well despite the obstacles thrown in by villainous characters trying their best to sabotage the blossoming romance.
The Christmas Bride is a light, enjoyable romance one can read anytime of the year...
The Christmas Bride is a light, enjoyable romance one can read anytime of the year...
March 29, 2016
I love this author and have since I first read one of her Harlequin/Mills and Boon novels many years ago. I picked this one as a vacation/holiday read for the trip, and I'm glad I did. It was a light, quick read and just what I was looking for at the time. It's sad that there will be no more new books from Penny Jordan.
October 18, 2012
Good tug of war bet the main characters.The story was full of drama.I liked it a lot.
If you would like to read this book or others like it please check out booksfreeswap.com.This book is ready for swap!
If you would like to read this book or others like it please check out booksfreeswap.com.This book is ready for swap!
November 25, 2015
Had some great chemistry. Hard to take the initial douchiness of Silas. And then of course there was some stereotypical sexual chemistry==love parts.... But I still enjoyed it dispite those things.
September 25, 2019
Sebenernya ceritanya ini tak masuk logika ya.
2 karakter utamanya sungguh "luar biasa". Para tokoh sampingan juga tak kalah "unik".
Alur ceritanya bikin emosi.
Yah sudahlah, selera masing2 juga deh..
2 karakter utamanya sungguh "luar biasa". Para tokoh sampingan juga tak kalah "unik".
Alur ceritanya bikin emosi.
Yah sudahlah, selera masing2 juga deh..
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 8, 2012
I very much enjoyed reading this over Christmas - a rent a beau, Christmas in a castle in Spain and snow. what's not to love?
February 16, 2016
The book was OK. The heroine was ok. The hero was ok. I liked the story line but it was not as grasping as I thought it could be The end was good and sweet he did not give up.
October 28, 2016
The Texas tycoon, his family and Tilly's mom didn't add much to the book. I was glad when he changed the premise of his book.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews