He’s entirely the wrong sort of man. That’s what makes him so utterly right.
After a horrific marriage, widow Everleigh Chatterton is cynical and leery of men. She rarely ventures into society, and when she must, she barely speaks to them. As a favor to a friend, she reluctantly agrees to attend a Christmas house-party. Unfortunately, Griffin, Duke of Sheffield is also in attendance. Even though Everleigh has previously snubbed him, she can’t deny her attraction to the confident, darkly handsome duke.
For almost a year, Griffin has searched for the perfect duchess to help care for the orphan he’s taken on. He sets his sights on the exquisite, but unapproachable Everleigh Chatterton after her sweet interactions with the child impress him. He is convinced he can thaw her icy exterior and free the warm, passionate woman lurking behind the arctic facade. Only, as Griffin pursues her, it’s his heart that’s transformed.
Can Everleigh learn to trust and love again? Will Griffin get his Christmas wish and make her his bride? Or, has he underestimated her wounds and fears and be forced to let her go?
Though this book can easily be read as a stand-alone, most readers prefer to read the series in order.
USA Today Bestselling author Collette Cameron® is renowned for her captivating, humorous, and heartwarming Scottish and Regency historical romance novels. With over 65 published titles, over 1.6 million books sold around the world, and multiple writing awards to her credit, Collette is a well-known author in the world of historical romance.
Readers love her witty and relatable characters including daring rogues, dashing scoundrels, and the strong and spirited heroines who capture their hearts. From the rugged highlands to the refined drawing rooms of Regency England, Collette’s novels will transport you to another time and place, where love and adventure are just a page away.
Collette’s Sweet-to-Spicy Timeless Romances® are the perfect escape for readers looking for romantic escape, poignant inspiration, engaging humor, and entertaining stories.
Based in the Pacific Northwest, Collette is surrounded by the lush greenery and rainy skies that inspire her writing. She dreams of one day splitting her time between the Pacific Northwest and Scotland. In the meantime, she indulges in her love of all things cobalt blue, dachshunds, chocolate, and of course, crafting her next historical romance.
This Christmas house party had 10 Dukes!!! including the host. England had 10 Dukes at one time?
This featured Griffin a mature, real man also the Duke of Sheffield, & widowed Everleigh. I'll call her Eve for short. Several years ago Eve was raped (thankfully there's no rape scene) & ended up wed to this "man's" father. More a prison than a marriage. Once a widow, Eve avoided interactions w/ men at all costs. Resulting in her anxiety and megrims. She assumed all men where alike. This frustrated me b/c Griffin was a stand-up guy from the start.
I liked the H better than the h, the baddie needed to go away & the one sex scene needed more foreplay.
************************ 05/06/22 Liked this better the 2nd time. Gave it a 4. Griffen was sensitive to Eve's past. She asked that he make love to her, to ensure she would not flinch & could emotionally handle it. Griff raised an orphan girl from India. Her late father saved Griff's life. Some assumed wrongly that this little girl was his by-blow.
A December with a Duke: A Regency Romance is the third book in the Seductive Scoundrels series by Collette Cameron. It can easily be read as a standalone story.
Everleigh Chatterton is a widow. She suffered the most horrendous marriage and is determined to never marry again. She sometimes regrets that she will never have a child especially after losing one already, but other than that she is happy to stay independent and single.
Attending a house party she meets Griffin, Duke of Sheffield. They had previously met before where she snubbed him, but she hardly has a chance to snub him again before she meets his daughter, a delightful little girl, and her heart is captured. She also starts to see Griffin in a totally new light. He is so caring for the little girl and that pleases her.
Griffin is at the house party with one thing in mind, marriage. He needs to find a woman who will be a kind and loving mother to his daughter. When she immediately takes to Everleigh, Griffin is thrilled. He finds her very attractive and can easily see himself married to her. But what chance will he have if Everleigh is determined to never marry again?
This was a lovely quick read that I really enjoyed. There were sad moments when I read about all that Everleigh had endured during her marriage, but for the most part, there were lovely lighthearted moments that had me smiling, laughing or just feeling soppy. I loved Griffin's character, he is so protective of those that he loves. He is thoughtful and kind, and perfect for Everleigh. She needs that kind of man after all that she has faced in her past. Christmas romance, you just have to love it.
On a side note, I love that the author is the heroine on the cover of this book, well done Collette Cameron.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ 💋 Such a sweet and sentimental festive romance deserves top marks . Griffin and Everleigh . The two got off to a rocky start , but maybe time has mellowed the relationship, or maybe it’s just that she’s more accepting of the man, it might even be the wonderful little girl who calls him papa , or maybe it’s just the magic of the season . It’s time they both had love and peace . Loved this story a real wonderful romance and a pleasure to read . I received an advance copy of this book and chose to submit a review
Series: Seductive Scoundrels #3 Publication Date: 12/18/18 Number of Pages: 125
This is a lovely well-written novella. The main characters are likable, memorable, and you root for them from the first words in the book. Then, throw in the sweetest, funniest, most delightful little girl and you can’t help but have a winner. The story was so well fleshed out that I felt as if I had read a full-length novel rather than a novella. Given the background of the heroine in the book, I thought it might be dark, but the author handled it beautifully and it really wasn’t too dark at all. BTW – just as a point of interest, the female model on the cover is actually the book’s author.
Everleigh Chatterton is finally a widow after two long, torturous years of marriage. She’ll certainly never make the mistake of marrying again – no matter what. She cannot stand to be in a crowd and if there are men about, she immediately flees the scene. Marriage and men aren’t all she hates – she also hates Christmas because that is when her precious daughter died.
Thea, Everleigh’s best friend, has persuaded her to attend a month-long house party over the Christmas season. It took a lot of persuasion to get Everleigh there – one of the promises was that it was to be a very small and intimate gathering of close friends and family. Evidently, Thea’s version of small and intimate and Everleigh’s version were two entirely different things. Everleigh’s instinct was to leave immediately, but Thea manages to convince her to stay – for at least a little while.
Griffin, the Duke of Sheffield, has taken in a child to raise as his own. She is the daughter of the man who saved Griffin’s life in India and now both of her parents are dead. Griffin loves her like his own and treats her the same. Now, he needs to find himself a duchess who will accept this lovely child as her own. So far, it has been a very hard thing to do. Then, when he hears his daughter, Sarah, calling for him, he begins to look for her. Where does he find her? In the arms of the most beautiful woman, Griffin has ever seen – and that woman is holding his child very sweetly and lovingly. Hmmmmm – looks like he’s found his duchess.
As Griffin learns more and more about Everleigh, he knows he’s going to have to woo her very, very slowly and carefully. It is wonderful that she doesn’t seem to be afraid of him and she likes to talk to him when she can’t stand being near other men. Maybe there is hope.
I loved Griffin’s patience and the size of his heart. He is one of the most appealing and caring heroes I’ve ever read. He isn’t a man ‘ho, rake, rascal or profligate. He is just a good, good person.
Sarah’s first meeting with Everleigh was wonderful. The child was lost and couldn’t find her papa – and then she saw Everleigh. Sarah was in awe. As Everleigh picked Sarah up, Sarah, starry-eyed and breathless, said, “Are you an angel?” Of course, later on, Sarah had some really fun things to say – like – “Papa, we sawed a frozen spider web. It looks like Nurse’s crotch dollies.” Made you smile didn’t I? She was talking about the nurse’s crochet doilies.
This was such a wonderfully emotional story and as I mentioned, I loved Griffin. There was no doubt in my mind that he loved Everleigh and that was wonderful. When you read the story, you’ll know how very hard it had to be for Everleigh to overcome her history and trust Griffin. I loved watching them come together to get their HEA.
"I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."
Given the subject matter in this book, I was expecting a completely dark and depressing read. I was pleasantly surprised to find that while there are some very sad, very dark moments, overall the novella was sweet and uplifting.
Everleigh Chatterton is a widow with no desire to remarry. Two years with Arnold was more than enough to show her that men are not to be trusted. Everleigh is stunningly gorgeous and has had to fend off unwanted attentions for years. She was raped by her husband's son and only married because she found herself with child. She gives birth to Meredith and loses her a short time later. She is completely devastated by the loss and as a result, she hates marriage, men and December.
She is attending Thea's house party and notices the Duke of Sheffield looking at her, she made her position clear to him when they attended Thea's wedding - not interested! But when a child wanders into the room and is looking for her Papa, Everleigh's heart goes out to her. The child is taken with her immediately and she soon learns Sheffield is her "Papa".
Griffin, the Duke of Sheffield hears Sarah and is shocked to see her in Everleigh's arms - Sarah doesn't like strangers and is prone to tantrums. He is further shocked when Everleigh offers to help settle her for the night. Griffin agrees and wonders if Everleigh is really the ice queen that she resembles - she mentions her daughter and that tomorrow is the anniversary of her passing. After settling Sarah, they return to the party. Everleigh is amazed that she told him about her daughter and that he doesn't terrify or make her feel repulsed, as she usually does around men. He tells her about Sarah, she is the child of his friends from India - they passed away and Sarah was left alone, he took her in and plans to raise her as his own.
Over the next few days, they spend a lot of time together, she likes him, but she worries that she could never be what he needs, she is not even sure she could bear the touch of man and with her former sister in law causing problems, she wonders if she would be more trouble than she is worth. Griffin has no such reservations, Everleigh is everything he has ever dreamed of in a woman and he wants to marry her.
It will take some coaxing, kisses and a very cute little orphan, but Griffin is ready to do whatever is necessary to win her - even let her go.
I loved this story, it is inspiring and very emotional, I loved Griffin and never ever doubted that he was in love with Everleigh. Everleigh had a lot to overcome and I loved that she was willing to trust Griffin with her heart. This novella is part of a series, but it can easily be read as a stand alone title.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me*
A sweet story; not very long but rather touching. Enjoyed reading it; Sweet H and lovely, brave h. Also, cute plot moppet and nice side characters. Also, villian and wannabe OW got a nice comeuppance.
A beautiful love story written for my favorite time of the year. Abuse is part of her past but the Duke is determined she shall be his Duchess on her terms.
A December with a Duke is a sweet story about a heroine who has had a rough go of it. Her first come out left her ruined and pregnant and force to wed the vile man’s father. Her baby dies and now 2 years later she attends a Christmas house party thrown by her friends. December has not been good to Everleigh and she vows to never wed or be under someone else’s control.
Griffen needs a wife for his daughter and as a Duke he can easily find one, but they must accept his child. He has always been intrigued by Everleigh and now she is attending the same house party. When she meets his daughter, her ice manner thaws and shows the woman she truly is.
Christmas is the time for miracles, and Everleigh is about to get hers. I loved this enchanting story!
Everleigh is a widow who was abused by her late husband and his son. Griffin is an adventurer who wants a mama for his adopted daughter. When they meet at the holiday house party of a friend, there is a strong attraction. Is it possible that a gentle, understanding man and a sweet Christmas angel named Sarah bring her the hope and love she needs so very much. A heartwarming story and loveable characters (most of them) make this a winner.
This was a wonderful, feel good read. Griffin, Duke of Sheffield, has arrived at a Christmas month long house party. He hopes to find a wife as well as a mother for his three year old adopted daughter. Everleigh Chatterston, widowed, is here at the invitation of her friend to help her re-enter society after her period of mourning. When Griffin sees her interaction with his daughter, his mind is made up to get to know her. This story covers all the wow aspects to historical romance. Learning to trust again, denial of feelings of love, acceptance of those feelings, self worth and love. I was cheering for Everleigh and Griffin and little Sarah. CC has a way with writing that pulls you in from the first page to the last. Her characters always shine. I highly recommend this book and give it five stars.
This was such a delightful story. Everleigh had a disastrous first husband, enough to put her off marriage for life. Griffin, the Duke of Sutcliffe was looking for a bride, mainly to take care of his child. I enjoyed their growing relationship and Griffin’s understanding of Everleigh’s doubts and reservations. The teasing by Griffin’s friends was amusing. This is just the story to curl up with on a winter’s afternoon.
This is a wonderful story of second chances. Ms Cameron has a wonderful, smooth writing style that is so enjoyable to read. Her characters are all well rounded and easy to get to know, even in a shorter story as this.
If you love romantic regency stories, there is none better than Collette Cameron to satisfy you with every word she writes in this wonderful novella. A delightful heartwarming romance that bring two people together, during a month long house party to celebrate the holidays. Everleigh, the heroine (don't you just love that name?) was a widow who had sworn off marrying again due to the terrible treatment from her deceased husband and his son. Having endured and lost so much, she had sworn off men and had no plans to remarry. On the other hand, Griffin, the Duke of Sheffield wanted to marry to have a mother for his adopted daughter. As he meets the beautiful widow there is a strong attraction and he woos her to try to change her mind on marrying again. I truly adored these two characters and his daughter Sarah just melted my heart. The magic of the season prevails in this heartwarming story of love found when least expected! PS, don't you love this awesome cover? Such a handsome gentleman and beautiful lady!!
A heartwarming story of patience and love. Everleigh and Griffin make the perfect couple. Sarah stole the story! This is one Epilogue that tied everything up in a neat bow and was Awesome! Thank you for the advanced readers copy, it was the perfect Christmas story!
This was first published in an anthology (A Lord for Christmas), so is a bit shorter than a average novel, but we'll worth a read. The author understands Everleigh' s reluctance to marry after an abusive first marriage. The Duke is a loveable character with a cute 'daughter'. This is a well written story , and an enjoyable read.
What a wonderful story for this time of year! Collette Cameron writes a sweet tale of how the innocence of a child can bring light into the world. After suffering horrors no woman should, our heroine has (with the exception of a few close friends) shut herself away from world and love. Until one special December when the appearance of a child shows her how to smile, laugh and love again.
My problem with this lovely story is that I picked it up thinking it was a full-length novel. It’s not. It’s a novella. And, I stay away from novellas because they just don’t have the page-time to delve into anything but surface story. This story does a good job of covering the bases but, because of the short length, it just didn’t satisfy me.
Widowed Everleigh Chatterton has been dubbed the “Ice Queen” because of her aloofness and avoidance of men. Everleigh has good reasons for steering clear of men – she suffered a brutal attack, and was forced to marry an elderly lecher who regularly abused her. Then the only good thing to come out of the marriage, her daughter, died shortly after birth. Everleigh felt no grief when her husband was killed, and vowed to never put herself under another man’s power again. She avoids socializing, but gave in to her friend’s pleas to join her “small” Christmas houseparty. Everleigh is shocked at the number of guests, many of them unmarried men, including the very handsome Duke of Sheffield.
Sheffield is on the hunt for a wife, a woman who will be kind to his adopted daughter, Sarah, who will no doubt face some prejudice from society due to her heritage. Sheffield owes his life to Sarah’s deceased parents, and felt it only right that he care for their orphaned daughter when she was left to the streets of India. Though Sheffield is aware of Everleigh’s reputation, he can’t help but be attracted to her beauty.
During the party, little Sarah misses her new papa, and bursts into the room, crying for him. Everleigh is charmed by the toddler, and immediately goes to her. Normally shy, Sarah is also entranced by Everleigh’s beauty and doesn’t hesitate to go into her arms. As the two immediately bond, Sheffield comes to claim his daughter, and he notices that the Ice Queen has melted. A warm and loving woman is holding Sarah, and Sheffield believes he’s found the woman he’s been seeking.
With Sarah as a buffer between them, Sheffield and Everleigh spend much time together. She slowly begins to feel at ease with him, and to see that he’s not cruel or manipulative. When Everleigh finally permits a kiss, and discovers how wonderful it is, Sheffield proposes. Everleigh panics, as a kiss is one thing, but marriage, and being a man’s possession is totally another. Everleigh refuses, but comes up with a proposal of her own, one that involves seeing if she is capable of experiencing genuine passion.
Sheffield is genuine hero material, and I adore him. His kindness and consideration is evident by his taking in of Sarah, and the care, patience, and protectiveness he showed to Everleigh. He let her know that he was willing to wait as long as it took for her to accept him, and also took steps to ensure that her fortune would be save and remain her own. His tender passion was just what the skittish Everleigh needed, and it was wonderful to see her finally experience love the way it should be. A DECEMBER WITH A DUKE is a sweet, yet spicy short story with a warm and tender romance and a very satisfying happy ever after.
I enjoyed watching Griffin slowly gain Everleigh's trust and win her over. It was understandable why she would be leery of men, and especially marriage after what had happened to her. I also enjoyed the way he stood up for her, not only to his friends, but to her horrid shrew of a former daughter-in-law as well. The addition of his adopted ward Sarah was an unexpected delight as well. Usually in novels such as this, children seem more like pawns than anything else, but thankfully that was not the case here. There was genuine affection between Griffin and the little girl, even if I don't remember my three-year-olds speaking in full sentences that were easily understood.
I do wish this was a full-length novel instead of a novella so we could have gotten more of those sweet moments before the two, but even with its shorter length, it definitely didn't feel like a case of "insta-love" between these two. I do think, however, that if anything their one love scene seemed a bit rushed.
Overall, this novella will be perfect for those who enjoy historical romances (with the added bonus of taking place at Christmastime). I would read more from this author!
I had the privilege of reading A December With A Duke by Collette Cameron. It is the third book in her Seductive Scoundrels series and definitely worth reading. Everleigh and Griffin find themselves at a mutual friend's home during the holiday season. They find themselves willing to open up to one another in order to make Christmas very special for Griffin's young daughter Sarah whom Everleigh has grown very fond of in a very short time. Griffin realizes that Everleigh's treatment in her first marriage has made her to not trust easily and he his hoping that the closer they become she can learn to trust in him no matter what.
I was given an ARC from the author/publisher. All conclusions are mine and mine alone.
A DECEMBER WITH A DUKE BY COLLETTE CAMERON - I really enjoyed this book & it truly put you in the holiday spirit. Everleigh Chatterton & Griffin, Duke of Sheffield met in a previous book & it was not a good encounter; now they are together at a Christmas house party for a month. Everleigh is a widow & has sworn she will never marry again & allow a man to own her. Griffin needs a wife for his adopted daughter whose parents died in India & Griffin owed them for saving his life. The fireworks, trust issues, romance & love all come together for a wonderful, HEA, holiday read that I highly recommend to all historical romance readers!
After a horrific marriage, Everleigh vows to never marry again, but the enigmatic Duke of Sheffield is determined to woo the beautiful widow and make her his own. A lovely read, the pace is very good & the characters well fleshed. This novella caught my heart when Everleigh first hunkered down to Sarah. Everleigh has vowed never to be beholden to anyone again but Griffin gradually & gently breaks down the walls she’s built. Griffin is sighworthy, so gentle & caring. Their road to their HEA was delightful.
This amazing story is book the 3rd book in the "Seductive Scoundrels" series and all 3 have been amazing! This book captivated me with some twists and turns, along with a few unexpected surprises that made for one incredible reading experience. This is one book you won't want to put down, I know I wasn't able to. I was gifted a copy of this book and I'm voluntarily leaving a review.
Wow! I loved this book! Collette was able to capture my attention with the romance and the drama. Theadosia, showed to all that she is a tough woman. Her character was well written. Dukes character, was great. With the description of him, I was able to visualize what he looked like, allowing me to connect more with the characters.
A December with a Duke: A Recency Romance (Seductive Scoundrels Book 3)
The Christmas love story of Everleigh and Griffin. Everleigh is a widow who is known as the Ice Queen. She have vow never to marry again. Griffin has a little girl and he is looking for a woman to be his Duchess and the mother to his daughter. When Everleigh met Sarah, the Duke's daughter, he know she must be his Duchess. Can he get over her fear of marry? Great story.
Everleigh Chatterton is a young widow. Her marriage was awful, so she is determined to never allow a man that control over her again. Even being in the company of men is uncomfortable for her. She is only at this Christmas house party because it's her best friends home. Griffin, the Duke of Sheffield is looking for a wife, but she needs to accept his daughter. Most women will not, because of her roots. This is a lovely story of recovery and acceptance. The characters are all good fun with very loving personalities. I loved every page of this inspirational story.