What do you think?
Rate this book
The Heirs' Club of Scoundrels #2.5
The Duke and Miss Christmas
Crispin, the Duke of Hurst, has never met a woman he couldn't handle—until he's hit over the head with a basketful of mistletoe by a young lady who mistakes his intentions. When he gets into a tussle with her—and she can hold her own—Crispin knows he has finally met his match.
Miss Gwen Prim is mortified that she attacked a duke, but even more concerning is the way her resolve melts when she's near him. She's never felt this way about a London gentleman in her life. And with the magic of Christmas in the air, she may end up with a proposal she didn't expect...in this delightful Regency gem, The Duke and Miss Christmas by New York Times bestselling author Amelia Grey.
Miss Gwen Prim is mortified that she attacked a duke, but even more concerning is the way her resolve melts when she's near him. She's never felt this way about a London gentleman in her life. And with the magic of Christmas in the air, she may end up with a proposal she didn't expect...in this delightful Regency gem, The Duke and Miss Christmas by New York Times bestselling author Amelia Grey.
65 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 13, 2015
56 people are currently reading
433 people want to read
About the author
Amelia Grey
35 books855 followersAmelia Grey (aka Gloria Dale Skinner) grew up in a small town in the Florida Panhandle. She has been happily married to her high school sweetheart for over twenty-five years. She has lived in Alabama, Connecticut, New Hampshire and now lives in Florida.
Amelia has won the coveted Romantic Times award for Love and Laughter, the prestigious Maggie award for best historical and Affaire de Coeur's best American historical award. She has been a finalist for the Golden Heart and the Holt Medallion awards which are given by Romance Writers of America and numerous other awards. Her books have been sold to many countries in Europe, Russia and China.
Amelia likes flowers, candlelight, sweet smiles, gentle laughter and sunshine.
Amelia has won the coveted Romantic Times award for Love and Laughter, the prestigious Maggie award for best historical and Affaire de Coeur's best American historical award. She has been a finalist for the Golden Heart and the Holt Medallion awards which are given by Romance Writers of America and numerous other awards. Her books have been sold to many countries in Europe, Russia and China.
Amelia likes flowers, candlelight, sweet smiles, gentle laughter and sunshine.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
December 23, 2015
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.
I thought that this was a decent short story. It didn't knock my socks off but it was entertaining enough. I have been trying to get myself in the mood for Christmas this year by doing a little bit of holiday reading. It was a given that I would need to fit a historical romance into my Christmas reading schedule. I hadn't read anything by Amelia Grey before so this story seemed like the perfect choice.
Everything that happened in this story seemed to happen fast. There was a bit of insta-love but in this case I am going to forgive that....mostly. I think that everything really had to move quickly due to the length of the story. I also tend to forgive insta-love in historical romances a little more quickly than I would in a contemporary romance. The difference is really the changes in how the world works. During this time period, decisions were made quickly and many times without the input of the individuals involved.
I did like the characters. Miss Christmas, Gwen, was fiesty. She doesn't hesitate to protect her younger sister. The Duke, Crispin, isn't the stuffy man that one might think of when they hear he is a Duke. He takes things in stride with a bit of humor. I thought the chemistry between the pair was tame at best. It did seem like they were building a foundation to build upon. The secondary characters, including Gwen's younger sisters, were a lot of fun. The way that the Duke interacted with them really helped establish his character.
The major problem with the story that I had was the one and only sex scene. I am still a little confused about it. It didn't make sense. One minute the Duke and Gwen are taking her sisters on an outing and the next minute a few kisses move quickly to a roll in the hay....or the field to be more precise. I just don't buy it. It felt completely out of her character that she would so easily lose her virginity without a lot of thought. This probably would have been a 4 star read for me without this scene.
I would recommend this to readers looking for a short Christmas story. This was the first chance that I have had to read Amelia Grey's work and I am definitely interested in reading one of her full length books after this story. I liked her overall writing style and I would be very interested in seeing more character development that would be possible in a longer story.
I received an advance reader edition of this book from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley for the purpose of providing an honest review.
Initial Thoughts
I thought that this was a decent short story. There was a bit of insta-love but with only a few pages there isn't a lot of time to do otherwise. I thought a few things seemed rushed and I would have loved to see the character's emotions instead of being told how they felt. I did enjoy the opening scene in the book quite a lot.
I thought that this was a decent short story. It didn't knock my socks off but it was entertaining enough. I have been trying to get myself in the mood for Christmas this year by doing a little bit of holiday reading. It was a given that I would need to fit a historical romance into my Christmas reading schedule. I hadn't read anything by Amelia Grey before so this story seemed like the perfect choice.
Everything that happened in this story seemed to happen fast. There was a bit of insta-love but in this case I am going to forgive that....mostly. I think that everything really had to move quickly due to the length of the story. I also tend to forgive insta-love in historical romances a little more quickly than I would in a contemporary romance. The difference is really the changes in how the world works. During this time period, decisions were made quickly and many times without the input of the individuals involved.
I did like the characters. Miss Christmas, Gwen, was fiesty. She doesn't hesitate to protect her younger sister. The Duke, Crispin, isn't the stuffy man that one might think of when they hear he is a Duke. He takes things in stride with a bit of humor. I thought the chemistry between the pair was tame at best. It did seem like they were building a foundation to build upon. The secondary characters, including Gwen's younger sisters, were a lot of fun. The way that the Duke interacted with them really helped establish his character.
The major problem with the story that I had was the one and only sex scene. I am still a little confused about it. It didn't make sense. One minute the Duke and Gwen are taking her sisters on an outing and the next minute a few kisses move quickly to a roll in the hay....or the field to be more precise. I just don't buy it. It felt completely out of her character that she would so easily lose her virginity without a lot of thought. This probably would have been a 4 star read for me without this scene.
I would recommend this to readers looking for a short Christmas story. This was the first chance that I have had to read Amelia Grey's work and I am definitely interested in reading one of her full length books after this story. I liked her overall writing style and I would be very interested in seeing more character development that would be possible in a longer story.
I received an advance reader edition of this book from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley for the purpose of providing an honest review.
Initial Thoughts
I thought that this was a decent short story. There was a bit of insta-love but with only a few pages there isn't a lot of time to do otherwise. I thought a few things seemed rushed and I would have loved to see the character's emotions instead of being told how they felt. I did enjoy the opening scene in the book quite a lot.
November 29, 2017
Another damp squib! Trying to read these Christmas stories for my Challenge and I am ready to be over Christmas- when we still have 4 weeks to go!
The Duke in this novella has a pretty unsavoury past that included a wager with a group of young men to see who could get the most girls to fall in love with them in one season. Yup. What a hero. Don't care that he regretted it, and stopped participating part of the way through. Maybe he could have stopped the others, too? Pretty mean, breaking all those hearts for a bet. So it was a struggle to see him as a genuine Mensch.
She then proceeds to . And way too many Americanisms and modernisms.
I was so looking forward to these holiday reads......
The Duke in this novella has a pretty unsavoury past that included a wager with a group of young men to see who could get the most girls to fall in love with them in one season. Yup. What a hero. Don't care that he regretted it, and stopped participating part of the way through. Maybe he could have stopped the others, too? Pretty mean, breaking all those hearts for a bet. So it was a struggle to see him as a genuine Mensch.
She then proceeds to . And way too many Americanisms and modernisms.
I was so looking forward to these holiday reads......
March 18, 2016
Kratka, slatka i savršena romantična novela. Volim ljubavne priče obavijene Božićnom čarolijom, tako da je za mene, ova priča pun pogodak.
October 20, 2015
Delightfully charming and sweet read, too bad it ended up being so short.
When Crispin, the Duke of Hurst finds a young injured girl, the last thing he expected was to suddenly be attacked by her older sister with a basket. After striking him in the face and causing a cut under his eye, Gwen and Crispin ends up in the tussle. Unaware that Crispin is a duke who was only trying to help her younger sister Sibyl, she accidentally mistakes him for an attacker and boy can Gwen hold her own.
"Let me up, you foul beast!" She ground out a hiss as she struggled to break free.
Not a chance in hell, he thought as his fingers tightened.
When the realization who she had attacked finally sinks in, Gwen cannot help but feel bad and a little ashamed for striking the duke and not giving him a chance to escape. Her past had made her wary of other gentleman but she cannot help the attraction between them.
Loved the banter, loved the plot-line, and characters full of wit and humor but unfortunately because this is a novella, it made me wish for so much more. I think I especially loved Sibyl, Gwen's cheeky young sister. She had to be my favorite part of the story. It is a shame that this is a trilogy because I do hope Miss Sibyl get's her own book.
She gave him a smoldering expression of defiance and crossed her hands over her chest. "I don't cry," she stated firmly. "Crying is for babies."
Thought I really did enjoy Grey's writing and humor, it was the reason this novella fell a little short for me. I really liked Crispin and wished this was a full length novel. I wanted to feel more of a connection between the two characters but it was quite quick and I guess because everything was so quick I just couldn't connect.
Another reason I gave it 3.5 stars is that I felt Gwen was a bit careless in the beginning. She could have really hurt her sister. Plus at the end, Gwen admitted in her rent that she loved Crispin but a little after she says to him, well you don't know that I love you, and he acts like she never said it. That was kind of a blooper it felt on that part.
Overall, it was enjoyable, though quick. I needed something like among all the thrillers I have been reading, and this definitely gave me that. Do I wish it was longer? Absolutely, especially since this was a Christmas romance and I love to get lost in those.
November 23, 2016
The Duke and Miss Christmas is my first sample of Amelia Grey's work and it may be my last. Unfortunately, this didn't work for me, for a number of reasons:
1. The heroine is a shrew. She is a shrew at the beginning and she is a shrew at the end. There is no character growth. I know she had a suitor try to assault her at some point earlier in the series, but here, she makes her own decisions and then blames the hero. At one point towards the end, she rails at the hero because he saw his own family at Christmas and due to his horse throwing a shoe, was late to her family's party. What?!
2. The sex scene in here was entirely unnecessary and came out of nowhere. The characters barely knew each other. In fact, they'd exchanged a few bland letters and had seen each other all of TWICE. Even though the heroine is supposed to be skittish of men using her, she will agree to sleep with the hero with no offer of marriage or any sort of understanding? In the snow no less? NO WAY. This story should have had no sex scene and would have done better as a clean story with more focus on relationship development.
3. The writing style was a bit choppy for me and there were random descriptions of setting that didn't fit with the rest of the narration.
Now, there were elements I did like, which is what got me through the story. The depictions of Gwen's younger sisters were fun and I enjoyed the scenes they were in. Also, I liked the hero. He was larger than life and dominated all of the scenes he was present in. Despite these two positive elements, I still can't rate this higher than 1.5 stars. I finished this book unhappy with the romance and disbelieving about the sex scene. I cannot recommend this one.
1. The heroine is a shrew. She is a shrew at the beginning and she is a shrew at the end. There is no character growth. I know she had a suitor try to assault her at some point earlier in the series, but here, she makes her own decisions and then blames the hero. At one point towards the end, she rails at the hero because he saw his own family at Christmas and due to his horse throwing a shoe, was late to her family's party. What?!
2. The sex scene in here was entirely unnecessary and came out of nowhere. The characters barely knew each other. In fact, they'd exchanged a few bland letters and had seen each other all of TWICE. Even though the heroine is supposed to be skittish of men using her, she will agree to sleep with the hero with no offer of marriage or any sort of understanding? In the snow no less? NO WAY. This story should have had no sex scene and would have done better as a clean story with more focus on relationship development.
3. The writing style was a bit choppy for me and there were random descriptions of setting that didn't fit with the rest of the narration.
Now, there were elements I did like, which is what got me through the story. The depictions of Gwen's younger sisters were fun and I enjoyed the scenes they were in. Also, I liked the hero. He was larger than life and dominated all of the scenes he was present in. Despite these two positive elements, I still can't rate this higher than 1.5 stars. I finished this book unhappy with the romance and disbelieving about the sex scene. I cannot recommend this one.
October 12, 2015
Amanda's review posted at Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
The Duke and Miss Christmas is a sweet novella that was delightful and charming. What made this story so charming is the Duke himself, Crispin. He’s in the country to visit his uncle and celebrate the holiday, when he encounters a young girl on the ground during his early morning ride. Being the gentleman, he comes to Sybil’s aid after a fall from the tree.
However, no good deed goes unpunished.
First impressions are always important but when Gwen Prim meets the Duke of Hurst for the first time, she jumps to the wrong conclusion and attacks him. Oops! He ultimately teases her and when things are made to right she finds out he’s a duke. Can it get any worse than that? Crispin finds it refreshing that she stood up to him, even before she knew his name and title. He teases her and she teases right back. Will he forgive her for her mistake?
I love it when propriety is so important in order to stay in good standings and avoid scandal with good society. Gwen knew she met an honorable man when he didn’t blame her and was genuinely interested in her and her many sisters. Falling in love wasn’t hard for Gwen when she decided to let herself to do so. Some might find it hard to believe that people can fall in love so fast in a short amount of time but part of it is anticipation and desire. These two have it in spades. Definitely a light and fast read for the holiday season.
Review copy provided for an honest review.
The Duke and Miss Christmas is a sweet novella that was delightful and charming. What made this story so charming is the Duke himself, Crispin. He’s in the country to visit his uncle and celebrate the holiday, when he encounters a young girl on the ground during his early morning ride. Being the gentleman, he comes to Sybil’s aid after a fall from the tree.
However, no good deed goes unpunished.
First impressions are always important but when Gwen Prim meets the Duke of Hurst for the first time, she jumps to the wrong conclusion and attacks him. Oops! He ultimately teases her and when things are made to right she finds out he’s a duke. Can it get any worse than that? Crispin finds it refreshing that she stood up to him, even before she knew his name and title. He teases her and she teases right back. Will he forgive her for her mistake?
I love it when propriety is so important in order to stay in good standings and avoid scandal with good society. Gwen knew she met an honorable man when he didn’t blame her and was genuinely interested in her and her many sisters. Falling in love wasn’t hard for Gwen when she decided to let herself to do so. Some might find it hard to believe that people can fall in love so fast in a short amount of time but part of it is anticipation and desire. These two have it in spades. Definitely a light and fast read for the holiday season.
Review copy provided for an honest review.
January 16, 2016
This short novella was just not for me. It features a hard-core case of insta-love, unlikely behavior, an annoying heroine, and absolutely no emotional realism whatsoever.
Crispin, Duke of Hurst, is on his way to the countryside for some Christmas parties, when he happens across a little girl who fell out of a tree. While trying to help her, he gets beamed over the head with a basket by the child’s sister, Gwen, who thinks he is trying to snatch the little girl. From there, Crispin and Gwen get in a tussle. He wants to kiss her but doesn’t. Her brother in law, another Duke, comes to the rescue and invites Crispin to dinner for his trouble.
Crispin and Gwen flirt over the table. They exchange a few notes. Then by THE SECOND DAY they see each other, they have sex and are in love. I have no words. Their first kiss morphs into sex. She is a virgin and a lady. And they do it outside in December and… what? How is this a romance?
I won’t even get into the hissy fit Gwen throws over him being late to a party and the 180 degree turn she takes after that.
What baffles me is the number of positive reviews this story has on Goodreads. Maybe these readers found more substance to this story than I could. It was only 60 pages and I realize there is only so much you can do there, but this did absolutely nothing for me… except leave me slightly irritated.
Rating: D
*ARC provided by publisher
Crispin, Duke of Hurst, is on his way to the countryside for some Christmas parties, when he happens across a little girl who fell out of a tree. While trying to help her, he gets beamed over the head with a basket by the child’s sister, Gwen, who thinks he is trying to snatch the little girl. From there, Crispin and Gwen get in a tussle. He wants to kiss her but doesn’t. Her brother in law, another Duke, comes to the rescue and invites Crispin to dinner for his trouble.
Crispin and Gwen flirt over the table. They exchange a few notes. Then by THE SECOND DAY they see each other, they have sex and are in love. I have no words. Their first kiss morphs into sex. She is a virgin and a lady. And they do it outside in December and… what? How is this a romance?
I won’t even get into the hissy fit Gwen throws over him being late to a party and the 180 degree turn she takes after that.
What baffles me is the number of positive reviews this story has on Goodreads. Maybe these readers found more substance to this story than I could. It was only 60 pages and I realize there is only so much you can do there, but this did absolutely nothing for me… except leave me slightly irritated.
Rating: D
*ARC provided by publisher
December 13, 2015
The Duke and Miss Christmas is a 2015 St. Martin’s Press publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a novella length Christmas story surrounding Gwen Prim and Crispin, the Duke of Hurst, who meet in a rather awkward fashion, but with a burst of chemistry that keeps Crispin looking for ways to see Gwen. However, his character has been called into questions after he was involved in a horrible scandal, and Gwen has had enough of scoundrels. Can Gwen trust him or will he live up to his bad reputation and break her heart?
Christmas themed novellas are always fun and I like to pick a variety of them for the holiday season. This one got off to a great start, but fizzled very quickly. There wasn’t a lot going on here and the conflict was very tepid, but there were some humorous spots here and there that kept me from losing all interest, plus the courtship was sweet, a little bit steamy, and romantic.
Not great, but a nice, light romantic tale non the less. 3 stars
This is a novella length Christmas story surrounding Gwen Prim and Crispin, the Duke of Hurst, who meet in a rather awkward fashion, but with a burst of chemistry that keeps Crispin looking for ways to see Gwen. However, his character has been called into questions after he was involved in a horrible scandal, and Gwen has had enough of scoundrels. Can Gwen trust him or will he live up to his bad reputation and break her heart?
Christmas themed novellas are always fun and I like to pick a variety of them for the holiday season. This one got off to a great start, but fizzled very quickly. There wasn’t a lot going on here and the conflict was very tepid, but there were some humorous spots here and there that kept me from losing all interest, plus the courtship was sweet, a little bit steamy, and romantic.
Not great, but a nice, light romantic tale non the less. 3 stars
October 8, 2018
Crispin, the seventh Duke of Hurst, has been invited to a Christmas Ball by his friend, Bray, the Duke of Drakestone. The oldest of six younger siblings, Crispin has decided to forego Christmas Day with his family to attend this Ball. As he is riding his horse to Drakestone, he comes upon a young girl named Sybil sitting in the snow surrounded by a basket of greenery cuttings. She has hurt her ankle after falling from a tree attempting to pick mistletoe so he offers to put her on his horse and take her home. As he is lifting her onto the horse, he is attacked behind by a young woman who thinks he is trying to steal Sybil away! Sybil is a good rider and takes off on the horse. Crispin struggles with the young woman who had attacked him and scrapes his face with the basket. He tries to calm her down and explain to her that he was only trying to help young Sybil. She refuses to tell him her name so he calls her Miss Christmas.
Gwen Prim is the sister-in-law of the Duke of Drakestone. Having returned from her season she is heartbroken from her experiences. However, she is shocked to find that Crispin is a Duke and will be staying at Drakestone. She is horribly embarrassed that she struck him and he now sports a scratch on his face.
Crispin is a member of the Heir’s Club which is a group of wealthy young men who tend to become involved in scandal. That is exactly what happened with Crispin, so he chose to join his mother and siblings in America for awhile until the gossip died down.
Crispin and Gwen are immediately attracted to one another and even after the Ball, they continue to correspond with one another. They are both quite fond of their many siblings. Gwen needs to be sure that the previous gossip about Crispin is not true before she can allow herself to fall in love with him.
This is a sweet novella with lots of humor. Once again, Amelia Grey has given readers a fun story.
Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley
Gwen Prim is the sister-in-law of the Duke of Drakestone. Having returned from her season she is heartbroken from her experiences. However, she is shocked to find that Crispin is a Duke and will be staying at Drakestone. She is horribly embarrassed that she struck him and he now sports a scratch on his face.
Crispin is a member of the Heir’s Club which is a group of wealthy young men who tend to become involved in scandal. That is exactly what happened with Crispin, so he chose to join his mother and siblings in America for awhile until the gossip died down.
Crispin and Gwen are immediately attracted to one another and even after the Ball, they continue to correspond with one another. They are both quite fond of their many siblings. Gwen needs to be sure that the previous gossip about Crispin is not true before she can allow herself to fall in love with him.
This is a sweet novella with lots of humor. Once again, Amelia Grey has given readers a fun story.
Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley
December 15, 2020
What a fun read! Loved the characters and some moments were sweet & funny. Great beginning, too 😊.
November 4, 2015
"The Duke And Miss Christmas", was a fun and sweet romantic novella.
When The Duke of Hurst Crispin, is invited to Darkside by his uncle for the holidays he expects to attend a few parties, have a pleasant time, good food and perhaps meet few nice country ladies. But perhaps not quite the way he did; one never expects to be attacked while helping a a child who has fallen and hurt herself. However that is just what happens.
Putting an injured Sybil Primm on his horse he jostles her injured ankle an knee , which sets her ti crying and earns him fro m out of nowhere an attack with a wicker basket by a hellion determined to protect her little sister. Once Crispin finally win the wrestling match that ensues, he find shimself staring into the face of a beautiful blonde, one he is finding himself attracted to.
Gwenn Primm is finding herself oddly attracted to this scoundrel, then when his intentions are revealed she gets to add embarressed because who hits a Duke; apparently her.
Crispin finds himself invited to dinner as it turns out Gwenn's brother in law is a freind "Bray" another member of the Heirs Club. Gwenn had a unhappy experience during her first season and though she is attracted to Crispin she tries to fight it ( especially since he has a bit of a reputation amongst the ton).Resisting this rake will be a challenge; But maybe this rake is ready to settle down.
Arc graciously provided byb St Martin's press Via netgalley for an honest review.
When The Duke of Hurst Crispin, is invited to Darkside by his uncle for the holidays he expects to attend a few parties, have a pleasant time, good food and perhaps meet few nice country ladies. But perhaps not quite the way he did; one never expects to be attacked while helping a a child who has fallen and hurt herself. However that is just what happens.
Putting an injured Sybil Primm on his horse he jostles her injured ankle an knee , which sets her ti crying and earns him fro m out of nowhere an attack with a wicker basket by a hellion determined to protect her little sister. Once Crispin finally win the wrestling match that ensues, he find shimself staring into the face of a beautiful blonde, one he is finding himself attracted to.
Gwenn Primm is finding herself oddly attracted to this scoundrel, then when his intentions are revealed she gets to add embarressed because who hits a Duke; apparently her.
Crispin finds himself invited to dinner as it turns out Gwenn's brother in law is a freind "Bray" another member of the Heirs Club. Gwenn had a unhappy experience during her first season and though she is attracted to Crispin she tries to fight it ( especially since he has a bit of a reputation amongst the ton).Resisting this rake will be a challenge; But maybe this rake is ready to settle down.
Arc graciously provided byb St Martin's press Via netgalley for an honest review.
September 9, 2024
A month later and I've already forgotten what happened in this novella. Probably a sign of the impact that this book made on me - it was fine I guess. A little overstuffed in the end which annoyed me. First half was ok so giving this an overall 2 stars.
I mean I could rant but I won’t ... however,
Sigh! Going through my notes was probably a bad idea. But I am still going to stick with the 2 stars as I managed to put the book out of my mind quickly so no harm, no foul.
---
Feb 2021
I keep forgetting I have this entire series in a collected edition. For some reason I keep mixing it up with book 1 and thinking I’ve finished all of this ... 🤷♀️🤷♀️
I mean I could rant but I won’t ... however,
Sigh! Going through my notes was probably a bad idea. But I am still going to stick with the 2 stars as I managed to put the book out of my mind quickly so no harm, no foul.
---
Feb 2021
I keep forgetting I have this entire series in a collected edition. For some reason I keep mixing it up with book 1 and thinking I’ve finished all of this ... 🤷♀️🤷♀️
December 8, 2015
ARC REVIEW
The Duke and Miss Christmas
by Amelia Grey
I really liked this one. An Heir's Club of Scoundrels christmas novella is a naughty historical romance. Crispin the Duke of Hurst has a reputation, one that he earned but regrets. On a crisp December morning Crispin's life changes for the better he gets hit on the head with a basket wielded by the beautiful young woman he dubs Miss Christmas. Gwen Prim knows that she should like a man with a reputation for stealing kisses from young ladies especially after her horrible experience at the end of her season, but what she knows about him differs greatly from what she has seen first hand. Crispin and Gwen quickly fall in love. But does Gwen get her hopes up too soon only to be broken hearted in the end?
I really liked this one it was so naughty and sweet at the same time, my only complaint is that it was so short. Crispin and Gwen deserved a full length story.
The Duke and Miss Christmas
by Amelia Grey
I really liked this one. An Heir's Club of Scoundrels christmas novella is a naughty historical romance. Crispin the Duke of Hurst has a reputation, one that he earned but regrets. On a crisp December morning Crispin's life changes for the better he gets hit on the head with a basket wielded by the beautiful young woman he dubs Miss Christmas. Gwen Prim knows that she should like a man with a reputation for stealing kisses from young ladies especially after her horrible experience at the end of her season, but what she knows about him differs greatly from what she has seen first hand. Crispin and Gwen quickly fall in love. But does Gwen get her hopes up too soon only to be broken hearted in the end?
I really liked this one it was so naughty and sweet at the same time, my only complaint is that it was so short. Crispin and Gwen deserved a full length story.
December 10, 2015
If you're looking for a short sensual Regency historical romance story, this may be the novella for you.
Crispin, the Duke of Hurst, has earned a bit of name for himself from seducing the young ladies. He's parting from his old ways and trying to clean up his reputation. He isn't expecting to meet a feisty young lady who will give him a run for his money. This is a tale of first meeting to marriage between the two.
I had trouble getting into it. Maybe if it would have been longer, I would have liked it more. It wasn't for me, but for many, it will be the perfect treat.
***copy given in exchange for an honest review***
Crispin, the Duke of Hurst, has earned a bit of name for himself from seducing the young ladies. He's parting from his old ways and trying to clean up his reputation. He isn't expecting to meet a feisty young lady who will give him a run for his money. This is a tale of first meeting to marriage between the two.
I had trouble getting into it. Maybe if it would have been longer, I would have liked it more. It wasn't for me, but for many, it will be the perfect treat.
***copy given in exchange for an honest review***
October 25, 2015
All innocent Sybil Prim wanted to do was gather cuttings of mistletoe, ivy, and holly berries to decorate Drakestone, her family home, for Christmas. Instead, she's found on the ground with an injured ankle and knee by a mysterious stranger. All Crispin plans to do it take Sybil back home, injured knee and foliage trimmings and all, when he's cracked in the head with a basket.
Unknowing what was going on, misunderstandings cause Sybil's sister, Gwen, to take charge and defend her young sister against the predator. When the air clears, both Crispin and Gwen and forever changed. Gwen tries to dismiss the intense feelings that Crispin has stirred up within her. Crispin wasn't looking to find his happily ever after, but he knows he's found it with Gwen. Now he just has to convince her that they belong together.
The Duke and Miss Christmas is an excellent edition to the The Heirs' Club of Scoundrels series. I love learning about the secondary characters in the series. I love that this novella focuses on one of Louisa's sisters.
The absolute best part of this novella (just like Books 1 & 2) is that way the author is able to draw out the emotions of the characters in such a way that the reader feels them, as well. This, in my opinion, it was separates the excellence from the so-so. I want to be able to feel the anguish as if I'm the person upset; I want to cry if that's what the scene calls for; I want to laugh at the silliness of the antics that are written on the page.
The Duke and Miss Christmas has a particularly heart-wrenching scene that just takes over and controls my emotions and that, my friends, is what it's all about. A book could have the perfect plot, excellent characters, and a great story but if it doesn't pull me in, keep me engaged, and run me through a gauntlet of emotions then all that greatness is wasted. Fortunately, this novella has a fantastic plot, excellent characters, a great story, and is full of superbly written scenes with emotional content and believability.
Amelia Grey's The Duke and Miss Christmas does everything it's supposed to do and more.
ARC review copy courtesy of the author, at no cost, in exchange for an honest review.
Unknowing what was going on, misunderstandings cause Sybil's sister, Gwen, to take charge and defend her young sister against the predator. When the air clears, both Crispin and Gwen and forever changed. Gwen tries to dismiss the intense feelings that Crispin has stirred up within her. Crispin wasn't looking to find his happily ever after, but he knows he's found it with Gwen. Now he just has to convince her that they belong together.
The Duke and Miss Christmas is an excellent edition to the The Heirs' Club of Scoundrels series. I love learning about the secondary characters in the series. I love that this novella focuses on one of Louisa's sisters.
The absolute best part of this novella (just like Books 1 & 2) is that way the author is able to draw out the emotions of the characters in such a way that the reader feels them, as well. This, in my opinion, it was separates the excellence from the so-so. I want to be able to feel the anguish as if I'm the person upset; I want to cry if that's what the scene calls for; I want to laugh at the silliness of the antics that are written on the page.
The Duke and Miss Christmas has a particularly heart-wrenching scene that just takes over and controls my emotions and that, my friends, is what it's all about. A book could have the perfect plot, excellent characters, and a great story but if it doesn't pull me in, keep me engaged, and run me through a gauntlet of emotions then all that greatness is wasted. Fortunately, this novella has a fantastic plot, excellent characters, a great story, and is full of superbly written scenes with emotional content and believability.
Amelia Grey's The Duke and Miss Christmas does everything it's supposed to do and more.
ARC review copy courtesy of the author, at no cost, in exchange for an honest review.
November 26, 2015
The Duke and Miss Christmas by Amelia Grey is a novella added to the Heirs' Club of Scoundrels Trilogy.
The story is about Gwen Prim. She attacks a man that she believes is trying to abduct her sister, only to find out after their scuffle that he is Crispin, The Duke of Hurst. During their tussle he asks her her name and she refuses to give it, so he names her Miss Christmas. He also refused to give her his name, and so she named him Sir Ogre. For me, that was a lovely light hearted way to start the book, and their relationship.
Gwen only finds out that Sir Ogre is a Duke, when her brother-in-law arrives after her sister has ridden off to get his help. He is actually a friend of Crispin's. Gwen is mortified that she actually hit a Duke, one that wasn't doing anything wrong, and is more mortified when she realises that she has actually cut his face during her attack with a basket. The Duke is very gracious though, he understands why she attacked him, and as he was highly aroused during their scuffle, he couldn't really be mad at her.
As this is only a novella you can't expect a very in-depth story but suffice to say that it goes on long enough to allow feelings to develop between the couple. There is a lovely outing where they both go with her younger sisters to pick holly and mistletoe to decorate the house for a Christmas ball, one which Crispin is invited to. There are some lovely light hearted, fun moments during the outing, and a lovely passionate moment between the couple too.
At the ball there is heartbreak, but is it another misunderstanding between the couple, or has the Duke really let down both Gwen, and her little sisters who thought so much about him.
I would love for this novella to have been a proper length book, I think it could easily have been done. I guess though that the author wouldn't then be able to call her trilogy just that, a trilogy. And sometimes a novella is just right when it comes to wanting a nice addition to a series. But, it had a lot of scope to be a much longer, in-depth story which I am sure I would have loved as much, if not more than this short story.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The story is about Gwen Prim. She attacks a man that she believes is trying to abduct her sister, only to find out after their scuffle that he is Crispin, The Duke of Hurst. During their tussle he asks her her name and she refuses to give it, so he names her Miss Christmas. He also refused to give her his name, and so she named him Sir Ogre. For me, that was a lovely light hearted way to start the book, and their relationship.
Gwen only finds out that Sir Ogre is a Duke, when her brother-in-law arrives after her sister has ridden off to get his help. He is actually a friend of Crispin's. Gwen is mortified that she actually hit a Duke, one that wasn't doing anything wrong, and is more mortified when she realises that she has actually cut his face during her attack with a basket. The Duke is very gracious though, he understands why she attacked him, and as he was highly aroused during their scuffle, he couldn't really be mad at her.
As this is only a novella you can't expect a very in-depth story but suffice to say that it goes on long enough to allow feelings to develop between the couple. There is a lovely outing where they both go with her younger sisters to pick holly and mistletoe to decorate the house for a Christmas ball, one which Crispin is invited to. There are some lovely light hearted, fun moments during the outing, and a lovely passionate moment between the couple too.
At the ball there is heartbreak, but is it another misunderstanding between the couple, or has the Duke really let down both Gwen, and her little sisters who thought so much about him.
I would love for this novella to have been a proper length book, I think it could easily have been done. I guess though that the author wouldn't then be able to call her trilogy just that, a trilogy. And sometimes a novella is just right when it comes to wanting a nice addition to a series. But, it had a lot of scope to be a much longer, in-depth story which I am sure I would have loved as much, if not more than this short story.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 27, 2016
3.5 Stars
It is almost the holiday season...at least in romance novella land! I have an odd sense of affection for holiday-themed stories so I had to check out Amelia Grey's The Duke and Miss Christmas. It also doesn't hurt that Ms. Grey is a new-to-me author and this seemed like a good chance to check out her writing. While this story did have the pacing issues that often plague novellas, I found it easy to get into and a decent way to spend a few hours.
The "meet cute" for Crispin and Gwen is one of the funniest I've seen in historical romance in awhile...she misunderstands a situation and starts beating him over the head with a basket. It is a good example of the rest of their love story which I would describe as adorable. He is a reformed rake who isn't opposed to love, but also isn't desperately looking for it. She feels overshadowed by her sisters at times and feels like she lost her chance with Crispin after their initial meeting. They work really well as a couple and the author makes sure that they spend time talking and hanging out together which I appreciated.
The only problem I had was the pacing which, as I said, happens quite often in novellas. While I'm not sure how this particular romance would do as a full-length story due to the lack of external drama, I feel like it could have benefited from a few more pages of character development. I was able to get a good read on Crispin's character, but not as much with Gwen. The romance moved along at a pretty frenzied speed as a result of the page length too.
Overall, I thought that The Duke and Miss Christmas was a good introduction to Amelia Grey's writing and the Heirs' Club of Scoundrels trilogy. The style was something that I enjoyed and I am interested in Gwen's sister's story after meeting her here. Not the most original romance I've ever read, but I found it enjoyable and worth my time.
I received a free eARC of this book from St. Martin's Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
It is almost the holiday season...at least in romance novella land! I have an odd sense of affection for holiday-themed stories so I had to check out Amelia Grey's The Duke and Miss Christmas. It also doesn't hurt that Ms. Grey is a new-to-me author and this seemed like a good chance to check out her writing. While this story did have the pacing issues that often plague novellas, I found it easy to get into and a decent way to spend a few hours.
The "meet cute" for Crispin and Gwen is one of the funniest I've seen in historical romance in awhile...she misunderstands a situation and starts beating him over the head with a basket. It is a good example of the rest of their love story which I would describe as adorable. He is a reformed rake who isn't opposed to love, but also isn't desperately looking for it. She feels overshadowed by her sisters at times and feels like she lost her chance with Crispin after their initial meeting. They work really well as a couple and the author makes sure that they spend time talking and hanging out together which I appreciated.
The only problem I had was the pacing which, as I said, happens quite often in novellas. While I'm not sure how this particular romance would do as a full-length story due to the lack of external drama, I feel like it could have benefited from a few more pages of character development. I was able to get a good read on Crispin's character, but not as much with Gwen. The romance moved along at a pretty frenzied speed as a result of the page length too.
Overall, I thought that The Duke and Miss Christmas was a good introduction to Amelia Grey's writing and the Heirs' Club of Scoundrels trilogy. The style was something that I enjoyed and I am interested in Gwen's sister's story after meeting her here. Not the most original romance I've ever read, but I found it enjoyable and worth my time.
I received a free eARC of this book from St. Martin's Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 14, 2015
The Duke And Miss Christmas is the charming tale of a foiled rescue; a rake hoping for redemption; and the granting of a feisty Christmas angel's wish for a love to call her own.
Crispen, the seventh Duke of Hurst, had no idea when he set out for dinner at the home of a friend, that he would find himself on the receiving end of a beating at the hands of a beautiful woman. Armed with a protective streak that would rival the fiercest mama bear, coupled with more than her fair share of righteous indignation.
But when Gwen Primm comes upon her younger sister Sybil, crying while being forced on the horse of a strange man. All she can see is danger.
All Crispen can see however, is her.
This story starts so well. With all of the fire and bluster of Gwen and Crispen's first meeting blazing a very clear path for whatever direction the the plot is headed.
Nary a step is missed as Crispen proceeds to ingratiate himself to the family by way of young Sybil. The young lady he braved a thrashing to save after she fell from a tree.
Getting closer to her family, also puts Crispen within wooing distance of one Miss Primm. (Miss Christmas)
It is with said wooing that things start to derail plot wise.
We go from chaste dinners with the family and family outings with the children, to clothes coming off and virgins being deflowered; within the turn of a few pages.
What?
Then it seems we are careening headlong into love and marriage with little more than a wham bam...thank you ma'am as provocation.
Really?
As it stands now. What readers are presented with is the beginning of a full length novel.
In order for this story to make sense as a novella, the sex should not be there. This should just be all about the promise of what is to come. The sweetness of the chase.
Crispen, the seventh Duke of Hurst, had no idea when he set out for dinner at the home of a friend, that he would find himself on the receiving end of a beating at the hands of a beautiful woman. Armed with a protective streak that would rival the fiercest mama bear, coupled with more than her fair share of righteous indignation.
But when Gwen Primm comes upon her younger sister Sybil, crying while being forced on the horse of a strange man. All she can see is danger.
All Crispen can see however, is her.
This story starts so well. With all of the fire and bluster of Gwen and Crispen's first meeting blazing a very clear path for whatever direction the the plot is headed.
Nary a step is missed as Crispen proceeds to ingratiate himself to the family by way of young Sybil. The young lady he braved a thrashing to save after she fell from a tree.
Getting closer to her family, also puts Crispen within wooing distance of one Miss Primm. (Miss Christmas)
It is with said wooing that things start to derail plot wise.
We go from chaste dinners with the family and family outings with the children, to clothes coming off and virgins being deflowered; within the turn of a few pages.
What?
Then it seems we are careening headlong into love and marriage with little more than a wham bam...thank you ma'am as provocation.
Really?
As it stands now. What readers are presented with is the beginning of a full length novel.
In order for this story to make sense as a novella, the sex should not be there. This should just be all about the promise of what is to come. The sweetness of the chase.
November 25, 2015
Original Post:
THE DUKE AND MISS CHRISTMAS by Amelia Grey is a Family Affair
http://fangswandsandfairydust.com/201...
This story is a great addition to the Heirs' Club series. But, be forewarned that the romance in the relationship is intensely shortened, probably because of the short-story/novella format. If you need a relationship to be believable in its progression, then you should gird your loins for the shock. When the romance takes a serious turn it was pretty unlikely unless the weather was considerably warmer.
Here we again meet up with the Prim sisters, now living with their eldest sister and her Ducal husband. We met this charming family of young ladies in THE DUKE IN MY BED after they lose their brother in a carriage accident and the eldest is courted by a duke who made a promise to her dying brother to marry his sister. The younger sisters in the family are especially spirited and the youngest, in particular, speaks her mind in such a way that would drive the Haut Ton to even higher haughtiness.
The story starts off in an unusual and amusing fashion. Then it moves forward quickly with some moments of courtship, amusement and ardour.
There's no cliff hanger here!
I think I may have enjoyed this hero and heroine more than the eldest Miss Prim, now Her Grace, and her own Duke. The young man is sober-ish, enjoys his family and has the good grace to be ashamed of his youthful carelessness. The young lady is passionate, but good to her sisters and quite protective. She also has a sense of humor.
I highly recommend this Christmas tale; it might put you in a holiday mood!
October 1, 2015
Yes people, Christmas time is almost upon us and the Holiday reads are here!
This entertaining novela, THE DUKE AND MISS CHRISTMAS by Amelia Grey is a wonderful holiday fare and a great read in the HEIR'S CLUBOF SCOUNDRELS series.
Crispin, the handsome and lively Duke of Hurst set off on his country holiday.When he comes upon a young lady sprawled out in the snow, a basket of misteltoe and holiday greenery nearby, Crispin has no idea what sort of intrigue he is setting himself up for. As he helps the injured young lady, a frantic young woman attacks him, thinking he is about to do harm to her sister. Crispin takes it all in stride, for this lady is the most interesting morsel he has ever come across.
When Miss Gwen Prim realizes that she attacked a Duke, she attempts to make ammends for her behavior, The Duke of Hurst and Miss Prim discover an attraction that the snow can't melt but only multiplies with the spirit of the holiday season. Their give and take is a wonderful sight to see as Once Crispin sees he wants Gwen, he uses all his wit and charm to overpower the enchanting but determined woman.
October 13, 2015
...mistletoe and mischief
Escaping from his family to attend the Duke of Drakestone's Christmas Ball, and using this as a chance to escape his family and contemplate his bachelor situation, Crispin, the seventh Duke of Hurst, and member of the Heir's Club (before he was thrown out) finds more than he's bargained for.
Well, the best of good intentions etc. etc! Crispin is in the midst of helping a young child of the female persuasion who's fallen out of a tree whilst cutting down Christmas decorations, when he's battered over the head with a basket of mistletoe by her sister thinking the worst!
Miss Gwen Prim is unaware that it's a Duke she's raging against--not only that, one well known to her brother-in-law Bray.
Crispin is quite an interesting character who displays just the right amount of acceptance of children and their ways and a wry sense of the absurd.
Gwen is a mixture of innocence and determination that does step beyond what's appropriate for her own reasons.
Between the two of them the sparks fly and Crispin finds his contemplations take a whole new direction.
An enjoyable Seasonal novella.
A NetGalley ARC
Escaping from his family to attend the Duke of Drakestone's Christmas Ball, and using this as a chance to escape his family and contemplate his bachelor situation, Crispin, the seventh Duke of Hurst, and member of the Heir's Club (before he was thrown out) finds more than he's bargained for.
Well, the best of good intentions etc. etc! Crispin is in the midst of helping a young child of the female persuasion who's fallen out of a tree whilst cutting down Christmas decorations, when he's battered over the head with a basket of mistletoe by her sister thinking the worst!
Miss Gwen Prim is unaware that it's a Duke she's raging against--not only that, one well known to her brother-in-law Bray.
Crispin is quite an interesting character who displays just the right amount of acceptance of children and their ways and a wry sense of the absurd.
Gwen is a mixture of innocence and determination that does step beyond what's appropriate for her own reasons.
Between the two of them the sparks fly and Crispin finds his contemplations take a whole new direction.
An enjoyable Seasonal novella.
A NetGalley ARC
September 30, 2015
This was a very cute and sweet novella by Amelia Grey, I really enjoyed reading The Duke and Miss Christmas. Gwen mistakenly believes that the duke Crispin is forcing her 10 year old sister away on his horse. So what does a good sister do? She attacks the man who could be harming her sister!
Of course, she has no idea he is a duke or what his name is, she refuses to give him her name and he jokingly calls her Miss Christmas. After they learn who the other is, Crispin begins to court her and they start to fall in love.
This really is a sweet Christmas themed novella, with a little bit of passion thrown in for good measure. I will look forward to reading more books by Amelia Grey.
I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Of course, she has no idea he is a duke or what his name is, she refuses to give him her name and he jokingly calls her Miss Christmas. After they learn who the other is, Crispin begins to court her and they start to fall in love.
This really is a sweet Christmas themed novella, with a little bit of passion thrown in for good measure. I will look forward to reading more books by Amelia Grey.
I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
December 29, 2015
I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What a wonderful holiday addition to The Heirs’ Club of Scoundrels.
Gwen is a strong heroine. I have to admit I was in awe of her and wished her story was longer. Her sister Sybil twists her ankle doing something she was NOT supposed to be doing. Gwen went to go look for her what Gwen did not expect is a org to be waiting.
Crispin is a true rake and quite honestly that "title" is starting to bore him. Needing to change things up Crispin happened upon the one thing that could do just that. There is one problem. He needs to convince her.
Read More. . . http://www.romanceswithalittlekick.co...
What a wonderful holiday addition to The Heirs’ Club of Scoundrels.
Gwen is a strong heroine. I have to admit I was in awe of her and wished her story was longer. Her sister Sybil twists her ankle doing something she was NOT supposed to be doing. Gwen went to go look for her what Gwen did not expect is a org to be waiting.
Crispin is a true rake and quite honestly that "title" is starting to bore him. Needing to change things up Crispin happened upon the one thing that could do just that. There is one problem. He needs to convince her.
Read More. . . http://www.romanceswithalittlekick.co...
October 11, 2015
I did want more, this should so have been a full length novel. I like her writing and the characters were fun.
Crispin, our Duke, has some woman issues in his past (he was an ass it seems). But since I have not read the previous books I could not be that mad. He seemed nice and reformed.
Gwen, she was nice, she loved her sisters, and she had an incident in her past. Men can be such fools!
They meet, with a BANG! Since it is a novella things does progress fast. But I could see the attraction, even if they acted upon it very fast.
A nice holiday novella with a HEA.
Crispin, our Duke, has some woman issues in his past (he was an ass it seems). But since I have not read the previous books I could not be that mad. He seemed nice and reformed.
Gwen, she was nice, she loved her sisters, and she had an incident in her past. Men can be such fools!
They meet, with a BANG! Since it is a novella things does progress fast. But I could see the attraction, even if they acted upon it very fast.
A nice holiday novella with a HEA.
December 1, 2017
This was much better than The Duke In My Bed which dealt with Louisa's story. I guess what made this better is its shorter length. It was a shorter sexier romance and a bit more of a happy, jolly Christmas atmosphere and it was good to see Louisa and Bray again. I still feel sorry for Bray since he has to be a co-guardian for all his wife's sisters. The little sisters are a bit better behaved in this novella though.
This novella has a bit of insta-love between the H and heroine and they don't experience any great conflicts until they get their HEA.
This novella has a bit of insta-love between the H and heroine and they don't experience any great conflicts until they get their HEA.
November 30, 2015
A nice little Christmas Regency novella, nothing exceptional but is ok.
Una piccola storia d'amore di natale, niente di eccezionale ma si fa leggere.
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND ST.MARTIN'S PRESS FOR THE PREVIEW!
Una piccola storia d'amore di natale, niente di eccezionale ma si fa leggere.
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND ST.MARTIN'S PRESS FOR THE PREVIEW!
November 24, 2015
I loved this short Christmas story. The Heirs Club series is wonderful too.
December 26, 2015
Lovely little story.
January 6, 2017
Cute short story.
November 29, 2016
Ameila Grey new novella Mistletoe, Mischief and The Marquis is a wonderful story of love and laughter at Christmastime. Two people who were not looking for love found that it can occur to you anywhere when you are least expecting it. Add in two small boys at a country house party with family and friends and you have a fabulous story. Ameila writes with humor, a cheeky wit and compelling human emotion that will you leave you immensely satisfied at the end of the story. I really liked this story and am going to have to go back and read the rest of the books in The Heir's Club of Scoundrels.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews