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The Snow Birds
It is Christmas 1892, and the toffee hammer of sweet destiny is about to fall upon the most unlikely hero and heroine who ever graced a love story.
* * *
Tuppence Sparrow works in her father’s confectionery shop, where everything has stayed much the same for half a century; where creaky floors and tilting shelves are all part of its whimsical charm. Like the shop, Miss Sparrow has some wonky traits, but she holds her tongue, minds her own business, seldom smiles, and certainly never encourages the attentions of scandalous men. At least, not in this lifetime.
But to help her days go by, Tuppence imagines herself into other lives, and into a world where she is bold, brave and reckless. A world far from the sleepy village of Hunsford Green, and a universe away from the very proper man she is one day expected to marry.
Trouble is, she can no longer be sure which of her nine lives is the real one, and if she doesn’t stop day-dreaming she just might lose them all.
* * *
Unlike Miss Sparrow, the man with whom she is about to collide, has lived only one life, and he’s flown through it by the seat of his breeches. When he’s wearing any.
The scandal papers are full of his exploits: from a naked swim in the Serpentine after a lost wager, to airing his buttocks before an outraged countess, who called him an “uncouth American upstart”. He is a man at whom a notorious fille de joie once threw her stockings, forcing him to win a boxing match with the dainty, silk-trimmed articles still draped over his head.
Calamity and chaos have stalked our dubious hero for thirty-two years, although, as he would be the first to admit, his antics have often “seemed like a good idea at the time.” Now he’s trying very hard to fix his wrongs; to set himself upright at last and settle down. Unfortunately, well-behaved females rarely interest Hazard Deverell, and as much as he believes in fate, his own has not been very kind to him.
But a strange encounter has unleashed his sweet tooth, and convinced him that a woman with the face of a disappointed gravestone angel will be his saving grace.
If only he can persuade her likewise.
It’s thirteen days to Christmas— unlucky for some, but he prefers odd numbers.
And peculiar women.
* * *
Tuppence Sparrow works in her father’s confectionery shop, where everything has stayed much the same for half a century; where creaky floors and tilting shelves are all part of its whimsical charm. Like the shop, Miss Sparrow has some wonky traits, but she holds her tongue, minds her own business, seldom smiles, and certainly never encourages the attentions of scandalous men. At least, not in this lifetime.
But to help her days go by, Tuppence imagines herself into other lives, and into a world where she is bold, brave and reckless. A world far from the sleepy village of Hunsford Green, and a universe away from the very proper man she is one day expected to marry.
Trouble is, she can no longer be sure which of her nine lives is the real one, and if she doesn’t stop day-dreaming she just might lose them all.
* * *
Unlike Miss Sparrow, the man with whom she is about to collide, has lived only one life, and he’s flown through it by the seat of his breeches. When he’s wearing any.
The scandal papers are full of his exploits: from a naked swim in the Serpentine after a lost wager, to airing his buttocks before an outraged countess, who called him an “uncouth American upstart”. He is a man at whom a notorious fille de joie once threw her stockings, forcing him to win a boxing match with the dainty, silk-trimmed articles still draped over his head.
Calamity and chaos have stalked our dubious hero for thirty-two years, although, as he would be the first to admit, his antics have often “seemed like a good idea at the time.” Now he’s trying very hard to fix his wrongs; to set himself upright at last and settle down. Unfortunately, well-behaved females rarely interest Hazard Deverell, and as much as he believes in fate, his own has not been very kind to him.
But a strange encounter has unleashed his sweet tooth, and convinced him that a woman with the face of a disappointed gravestone angel will be his saving grace.
If only he can persuade her likewise.
It’s thirteen days to Christmas— unlucky for some, but he prefers odd numbers.
And peculiar women.
257 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 11, 2021
16 people are currently reading
149 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
December 18, 2021
(4.5 stars) Thanks for the wonderful Christmas present, Ms Fresina. This is a lovely story and the perfect way to end my HR reading year, which, for the most part, has been a big disappointment, so this one and the latest by Julie Anne Long have left me with a bit of optimism for 2022.
This is charmingly written, full of Fresina's trademark quirky characters, with a romance that makes the reader feel all warm and fuzzy. It's as close to a 5-star HR as they get for me but if I compare it to her two previous Christmas stories, The Snow Angel and The Snowdrop, it comes in third place for me. It's lacking something; perhaps I needed more humor in it. This one is not as much fun to read as the other two, although it is very satisfying as a romance and is very cleverly written. And, it must be said, that a third-place Fresina story is a first-place story by any other author.
If, like me, you are a devoted fan of Fresina's work, you'll be delighted to know that the hero here is another grandson of True Deverell. If you have never read any of her work before, it does not matter in the least to know this. As a matter of fact, you may have an advantage over me this time, because, in some ways, all these male Deverell descendants whose stories I've read are starting to blend into one character and are losing some individuality in my mind. Hazard Deverell, the hero here, felt so similar to the one in Pumpymuckles that I had to go check on the name of the hero in that one. (Turns out it's Gabriel Hart, who is Hazard's nephew and has a small role in this new story.)
And our heroine? It's Tuppence Sparrow, 24-year-old young woman, living such an uneventful life that she finds the need to lose herself in imaginary ones, to the dismay of those around her, especially her unsympathetic stepmother, who wants her to stay in the here and now to accept the marriage proposal of boring, uneventful Horace Pinchbeck and finally leave home.
But no amount of imagination can make Horace palatable to Tuppence. And when she meets up with our hero Hazard, he is so extraordinary, vivid, colorful, and exciting that she is sure she is only imagining him. After all, he's a famous boxer and adventurer whose life she'd been following in the news for years. Newspaper cuttings about him lie collected in her biscuit tin. Surely he's only in her imagination. He can't really be interacting with her in real life.
Real life is work in her father's confectionery shop day in and day out. Real life is putting up with her stepmother's callous treatment. Real life is helping her married sisters on her day off. Real life is sitting quietly when Horace Pinchbeck and his mother come to call. Real life is church on Sundays and a visit to her mother's grave on Tuesdays. Is it any wonder she chooses to lose herself in an imaginary world?
But now Hazard Deverell seems to be the only one inhabiting this imaginary world. He's coloring and enlarging her life and making even her real world seem brighter. She's even become more assertive in her relationships and more creative in her work at the shop, coming up with a new treat for the holidays: fondant snow birds with surprise fillings.
Her family also believes that she is just imagining Hazard. After all, she's been living imaginary lives for years. They have never seen him with her and the idea that he would be interested in Tuppence is impossible for them to imagine. So when they start to notice the change in her personality, they wonder and worry about her emotional stability. What is happening to Tuppence? Well, it's Hazard happening to Tuppence. Or maybe it's just the real Tuppence finally showing up in the real world.
This is a lovely story. At first I did wonder at colorful Hazard's intense interest in unsmiling, rather dour Tuppence. But, you see, they are destined for each other and he knew it all along, since the moment he saw her that first day at her mother's grave...and even before then. "Tuppence Sparrow, the strange girl with the crooked halo, would be his salvation. And he would be hers."
This is charmingly written, full of Fresina's trademark quirky characters, with a romance that makes the reader feel all warm and fuzzy. It's as close to a 5-star HR as they get for me but if I compare it to her two previous Christmas stories, The Snow Angel and The Snowdrop, it comes in third place for me. It's lacking something; perhaps I needed more humor in it. This one is not as much fun to read as the other two, although it is very satisfying as a romance and is very cleverly written. And, it must be said, that a third-place Fresina story is a first-place story by any other author.
If, like me, you are a devoted fan of Fresina's work, you'll be delighted to know that the hero here is another grandson of True Deverell. If you have never read any of her work before, it does not matter in the least to know this. As a matter of fact, you may have an advantage over me this time, because, in some ways, all these male Deverell descendants whose stories I've read are starting to blend into one character and are losing some individuality in my mind. Hazard Deverell, the hero here, felt so similar to the one in Pumpymuckles that I had to go check on the name of the hero in that one. (Turns out it's Gabriel Hart, who is Hazard's nephew and has a small role in this new story.)
And our heroine? It's Tuppence Sparrow, 24-year-old young woman, living such an uneventful life that she finds the need to lose herself in imaginary ones, to the dismay of those around her, especially her unsympathetic stepmother, who wants her to stay in the here and now to accept the marriage proposal of boring, uneventful Horace Pinchbeck and finally leave home.
But no amount of imagination can make Horace palatable to Tuppence. And when she meets up with our hero Hazard, he is so extraordinary, vivid, colorful, and exciting that she is sure she is only imagining him. After all, he's a famous boxer and adventurer whose life she'd been following in the news for years. Newspaper cuttings about him lie collected in her biscuit tin. Surely he's only in her imagination. He can't really be interacting with her in real life.
Real life is work in her father's confectionery shop day in and day out. Real life is putting up with her stepmother's callous treatment. Real life is helping her married sisters on her day off. Real life is sitting quietly when Horace Pinchbeck and his mother come to call. Real life is church on Sundays and a visit to her mother's grave on Tuesdays. Is it any wonder she chooses to lose herself in an imaginary world?
But now Hazard Deverell seems to be the only one inhabiting this imaginary world. He's coloring and enlarging her life and making even her real world seem brighter. She's even become more assertive in her relationships and more creative in her work at the shop, coming up with a new treat for the holidays: fondant snow birds with surprise fillings.
Her family also believes that she is just imagining Hazard. After all, she's been living imaginary lives for years. They have never seen him with her and the idea that he would be interested in Tuppence is impossible for them to imagine. So when they start to notice the change in her personality, they wonder and worry about her emotional stability. What is happening to Tuppence? Well, it's Hazard happening to Tuppence. Or maybe it's just the real Tuppence finally showing up in the real world.
This is a lovely story. At first I did wonder at colorful Hazard's intense interest in unsmiling, rather dour Tuppence. But, you see, they are destined for each other and he knew it all along, since the moment he saw her that first day at her mother's grave...and even before then. "Tuppence Sparrow, the strange girl with the crooked halo, would be his salvation. And he would be hers."
April 23, 2022
I loved the story about Tuppance and her imagination with wonderful dialogue. The characters were great, and I just enjoyed reading it. I have not tried this author but have read reviews and have looked forward to starting her books and this one was delightful. I think the secondary characters added a lot to this wonderfully fun strange book.
August 19, 2023
Like (almost) always with this author, this story grabbed me from the start, shocked me, surprised me, entertained me and made me second-guess myself. And it was sooo much fun!
I love to read out of ballrooms HRs featuring people who doesn’t belong to the Ton. For me is always a plus. But this story was more than that. It was about second chances, about finding your place in the world, finding yourself, about destiny… there was a lot going on and all of it interesting.
Ms. Fresina susprised me more than once during this read. Every time I feared there was going to be some melodrama she prove me wrong with her next line. When I thought that was all, there was some more. She never take me where I thought and I loved it. She made me fall in love with her characters and root for them. She even made me forget I had already read the end. She is that good. And to top it all, the story is set at Christmas. I couldn´t have asked for more.
A perfect Christmas read.
I love to read out of ballrooms HRs featuring people who doesn’t belong to the Ton. For me is always a plus. But this story was more than that. It was about second chances, about finding your place in the world, finding yourself, about destiny… there was a lot going on and all of it interesting.
Ms. Fresina susprised me more than once during this read. Every time I feared there was going to be some melodrama she prove me wrong with her next line. When I thought that was all, there was some more. She never take me where I thought and I loved it. She made me fall in love with her characters and root for them. She even made me forget I had already read the end. She is that good. And to top it all, the story is set at Christmas. I couldn´t have asked for more.
A perfect Christmas read.
April 24, 2023
During Christmas season of 1892.
Loved the odd-ball MCs! Loved the dialogue!
Hazard Deverell (True's grandson) was a former
prize-fighter & current boxing gym owner. Tuppence
assisted her sire & step-mom in their confectionary
shop. She created original recipes. Her mind wandered.
At times she asked herself: did that happen or did I
imagine it? She seldom had any free time, as once a
week she assisted her married sisters with their chores.
The MCs met, while leaving flowers for respective loved
ones in a graveyard.
Step-mother Maud berated Tuppence and wanted her
out of the home. She tried to force fusspot Horace on
Tuppence. My fav. scene? Tuppence revealed to suiter
Horace her true feelings.
The secondary characters enhanced the story. Ms Fresina
has a way with words!
Loved the odd-ball MCs! Loved the dialogue!
Hazard Deverell (True's grandson) was a former
prize-fighter & current boxing gym owner. Tuppence
assisted her sire & step-mom in their confectionary
shop. She created original recipes. Her mind wandered.
At times she asked herself: did that happen or did I
imagine it? She seldom had any free time, as once a
week she assisted her married sisters with their chores.
The MCs met, while leaving flowers for respective loved
ones in a graveyard.
Step-mother Maud berated Tuppence and wanted her
out of the home. She tried to force fusspot Horace on
Tuppence. My fav. scene? Tuppence revealed to suiter
Horace her true feelings.
The secondary characters enhanced the story. Ms Fresina
has a way with words!
January 1, 2022
Wonderful story with a sweet ending. The H is a complex man. He's a champion pugilist, a caring person and in love with the h. She's a dreamer being quietly bullied by her step mother. Loved this couple's love story. His daughter is definitely a Deverell.
January 15, 2022
Whimsical and romantic. Fresina never disappoints. Longer review to come.
February 3, 2022
England, late 1800s.
I'd say when I grow up I want to be Jayne Fresina but I am probably already much older than her. Therefore, I'll just say her imagination has me in awe. Her books are so unique and clever. And another Deverell hero...count me in although I have yet to read "True Story" the Deverell that started it all I believe. Hazard and Tuppance Sparrow's story was an enjoyable escape and I particularly appreciated Tuppance's struggle with wondering which parts of her life were real and what, if anything, had she conjured up. Thank you Jayne Fresina for being a breath of fresh air in a literary world that has a few too many Dukes and Earls.
I'd say when I grow up I want to be Jayne Fresina but I am probably already much older than her. Therefore, I'll just say her imagination has me in awe. Her books are so unique and clever. And another Deverell hero...count me in although I have yet to read "True Story" the Deverell that started it all I believe. Hazard and Tuppance Sparrow's story was an enjoyable escape and I particularly appreciated Tuppance's struggle with wondering which parts of her life were real and what, if anything, had she conjured up. Thank you Jayne Fresina for being a breath of fresh air in a literary world that has a few too many Dukes and Earls.
January 17, 2022
A Story Worth at Least 5 Gold Foil-Wrapped Chocolate Sovereigns
I wish I had Tuppence Sparrow's ability to pretend her way into another place and life. With Omicron and a powerful snow storm raging, I feel confined to the house.
This book helps tremendously. Fictional snow can be much more pleasant than the real thing. And a visit to an old-fashioned candy shop is just what I needed.
Jayne Fresina's always-inventive language is continually appealing. She explains that the village of Hunsford Green is suffering from the growing use of railways and may be "erased from modern maps entirely, except for a very small dot that might be mistaken for a squashed flea carcass." And Tuppence's step-mother is insistent that Tuppence marry a dull bachelor suitor and continue working in the family confectionery "until they hear the patter of little feet in the house." Tuppence replies, "Does Mr. Pinchbeck expect an infestation of roaches then?"
I especially enjoyed Hazard Deverell's 10-year-old daughter, Clemmie. She is exactly as a 10-year-old should be. She is old enough to examine and articulate other people's motivations, even if she doesn't yet understand nuances and diplomacy. We have a 10-year-old grandson at my house so Clemmie resonated with me (Recent discussion at our house--Him: "Grammy, why does my mother spend time putting on make-up when she is pretty without it? And why do you not put on any make-up when you are old and wrinkled and need it?" Me: "Mmmmph" (trying valiantly not to burst out laughing when he is being so serious).
I wish I had Tuppence Sparrow's ability to pretend her way into another place and life. With Omicron and a powerful snow storm raging, I feel confined to the house.
This book helps tremendously. Fictional snow can be much more pleasant than the real thing. And a visit to an old-fashioned candy shop is just what I needed.
Jayne Fresina's always-inventive language is continually appealing. She explains that the village of Hunsford Green is suffering from the growing use of railways and may be "erased from modern maps entirely, except for a very small dot that might be mistaken for a squashed flea carcass." And Tuppence's step-mother is insistent that Tuppence marry a dull bachelor suitor and continue working in the family confectionery "until they hear the patter of little feet in the house." Tuppence replies, "Does Mr. Pinchbeck expect an infestation of roaches then?"
I especially enjoyed Hazard Deverell's 10-year-old daughter, Clemmie. She is exactly as a 10-year-old should be. She is old enough to examine and articulate other people's motivations, even if she doesn't yet understand nuances and diplomacy. We have a 10-year-old grandson at my house so Clemmie resonated with me (Recent discussion at our house--Him: "Grammy, why does my mother spend time putting on make-up when she is pretty without it? And why do you not put on any make-up when you are old and wrinkled and need it?" Me: "Mmmmph" (trying valiantly not to burst out laughing when he is being so serious).
December 29, 2021
Read this a bit wary there would maybe be a twist similar to "The snow angel" but there wasn't, so I loved the story from beginning to end.
Tuppence was awesome, and Haze was perfect for her.
Such a wonderful christmas novel!
5 stars.
Tuppence was awesome, and Haze was perfect for her.
Such a wonderful christmas novel!
5 stars.
December 21, 2021
Perfect Christmas Story
“I have a very alarming, moderately wicked, exceedingly wayward imagination.” So says Tuppence, our slightly odd heroine, but could definitely be said about our author, Jayne Fresina. Jayne takes a meandering and charming journey to happily-ever-after, and I loved it all. Merry Christmas, Jayne!
“I have a very alarming, moderately wicked, exceedingly wayward imagination.” So says Tuppence, our slightly odd heroine, but could definitely be said about our author, Jayne Fresina. Jayne takes a meandering and charming journey to happily-ever-after, and I loved it all. Merry Christmas, Jayne!
December 25, 2021
I just finished this book and would like to start all over again from page 1. Whimsical, fanciful, surprising, magical, and so romantic - I can't quite find the right adjectives to describe it. I'm still smiling.
It is a wonderful book to read at Christmas, or at any time. It doesn't hurt that one of the main characters is Hazard Deverell, a worthy offshoot of that brawling, sprawling, bold and scandalous family. Hazard is a bare-knuckle boxer with the scars and the broken nose to prove it. His grandmother, Lady Charlotte, was True Deverell's second wife, who (scandalously) divorced him back in the day.
Tuppence Sparrow is a young woman who lives with her father and her resentful stepmother. She works in her father's confectionery shop in the small village of Hunsford Green. Reading the descriptions of those sweets made my mouth water. Tuppence is gifted in both making cakes and candies and creating new ones. The snow bird in the title, for example, is a confection that she created just before Christmas. They are in the shape of birds and contain a surprise. Much like this book, which contains several surprises.
If you haven't read the books about the Deverells, you are missing out. The first book in the series, True Story, is True Deverell's story. Although reading it first is not necessary in order to enjoy this book, knowing a little about the Deverell family background would be helpful.
It is a wonderful book to read at Christmas, or at any time. It doesn't hurt that one of the main characters is Hazard Deverell, a worthy offshoot of that brawling, sprawling, bold and scandalous family. Hazard is a bare-knuckle boxer with the scars and the broken nose to prove it. His grandmother, Lady Charlotte, was True Deverell's second wife, who (scandalously) divorced him back in the day.
Tuppence Sparrow is a young woman who lives with her father and her resentful stepmother. She works in her father's confectionery shop in the small village of Hunsford Green. Reading the descriptions of those sweets made my mouth water. Tuppence is gifted in both making cakes and candies and creating new ones. The snow bird in the title, for example, is a confection that she created just before Christmas. They are in the shape of birds and contain a surprise. Much like this book, which contains several surprises.
If you haven't read the books about the Deverells, you are missing out. The first book in the series, True Story, is True Deverell's story. Although reading it first is not necessary in order to enjoy this book, knowing a little about the Deverell family background would be helpful.
January 29, 2022
I was disappointed after reading Ransoms book which was so good. This was a sweet story but with a difficult premise to pull off—making the reader believe tuppence’s imagination was so vivid the she could mistake a live person for fantasy.
September 25, 2023
This is a small and intimate little romance story. There is no action, no great villains or cliffhangers. I wasn't sure at first if I was going to like it because it's a bit on the whimsical side and put it down
a time or two. Ultimately, it was still so utterly lovely. Tuppence, the female protagonist collects news clippings about Hazard, the male love interest and is a daydreamer if she's not creating new confectionaries. I was so happy that those two joyful and good-hearted souls found each other.
***
“How very odd that you should think you know me, when we have never met before.” “Not quite so odd as a woman shouting Damnable Arse at me through a window.” She faltered, blinked rapidly. “I did nothing of the sort.” “I heard you.”
“You have a rich imagination, Mr. Deverell. Such words would never cross my lips. And if they had, would you truly have followed me?”
“It is almost certainly the reason why I did. Well behaved women rarely interest me. It’s a fault I have, but at least I admit mine.”
She swallowed and tried to look away, but found that she couldn’t.
“Life is full of chances to be taken,” he continued softly. “Like all those treats lined up in their jars. If there is something you want, you should say so and don’t leave the shopkeeper waiting. Take responsibility for your own happiness, Tuppence. If I may call you that.”
“You may not.”
“Tell me then, Miss Sparrow, what do you want?”
“There is nothing I want.”
“You’re afraid to take a chance and tell me. Afraid to gamble; to give voice to your wishes. What would happen if you did, I wonder? Where is your spirit of adventure?”
“I leave that sort of thing to people like you.”
“Take a bite out of life, Miss Sparrow, and see what happens. Stop peering at it through the window, or else somebody else will snap it up, before you can say where’s-me-blasted-bloomers.”
“Although your advice is unsolicited and unwarranted— as is your mention of my underclothes— I suppose it would be impolite of me not to thank you for it, sir. I’m sure you know better than me, being so much older. And a man. Good day.”
“If I am not the Damnable Arse, you must have been talking to yourself.” He paused, and his eyes sought hers with an intensity that would not be ignored. “As the lady behind the curtain said, aren’t you too old for all that nonsense?”
“She’s not a lady, she’s a Maud, and if I want to talk to myself I shall. I am frequently the only person listening, in any case.”
“Mr. Crayle said you were a bit strange. Peculiar, I believe, is the word he used.”
“Far be it from me to argue with the estimable Mr. Crayle, who wears a tea-cozy on his head, never goes outside, and keeps thirteen cats.”
“He told me it’s a knitted cap that his sister made for him.”
“With one hole for a spout and the other for a handle?”
“Hmm.” He put his head on one side and considered the ceiling. “I did wonder at that. I thought perhaps they were meant for his ears to poke through.”
“But that would negate the purpose of a warm hat.”
He looked down at her again, and she thought what a good thing it was that this conversation was entirely in her own mind, because she could never be so bold and talkative with a stranger.
“So you see, sir, one person’s hat is another person’s tea-cozy. Peculiar is in the eye of the beholder.”
He smiled slowly, his gaze leaving her face feeling thoroughly tickled and gruffly appreciated, as if the neighbor’s cat— in gratitude for a saucer of warm milk— had been licking at her cheeks.
In a low voice, he said, “I always considered ordinary to be overrated, in any case.”
She said nothing, but stared past him, finally able to unfix her gaze from the strong, demanding grip of his.
“Well, I’m off back to my biscuit tin then. Until we meet again, Miss Sparrow.” He leaned down to her and his breath, scented with butterscotch, caressed her skin. “Until then, be careful leaping into puddles. One day it might be deeper than you expect.”
a time or two. Ultimately, it was still so utterly lovely. Tuppence, the female protagonist collects news clippings about Hazard, the male love interest and is a daydreamer if she's not creating new confectionaries. I was so happy that those two joyful and good-hearted souls found each other.
***
“How very odd that you should think you know me, when we have never met before.” “Not quite so odd as a woman shouting Damnable Arse at me through a window.” She faltered, blinked rapidly. “I did nothing of the sort.” “I heard you.”
“You have a rich imagination, Mr. Deverell. Such words would never cross my lips. And if they had, would you truly have followed me?”
“It is almost certainly the reason why I did. Well behaved women rarely interest me. It’s a fault I have, but at least I admit mine.”
She swallowed and tried to look away, but found that she couldn’t.
“Life is full of chances to be taken,” he continued softly. “Like all those treats lined up in their jars. If there is something you want, you should say so and don’t leave the shopkeeper waiting. Take responsibility for your own happiness, Tuppence. If I may call you that.”
“You may not.”
“Tell me then, Miss Sparrow, what do you want?”
“There is nothing I want.”
“You’re afraid to take a chance and tell me. Afraid to gamble; to give voice to your wishes. What would happen if you did, I wonder? Where is your spirit of adventure?”
“I leave that sort of thing to people like you.”
“Take a bite out of life, Miss Sparrow, and see what happens. Stop peering at it through the window, or else somebody else will snap it up, before you can say where’s-me-blasted-bloomers.”
“Although your advice is unsolicited and unwarranted— as is your mention of my underclothes— I suppose it would be impolite of me not to thank you for it, sir. I’m sure you know better than me, being so much older. And a man. Good day.”
“If I am not the Damnable Arse, you must have been talking to yourself.” He paused, and his eyes sought hers with an intensity that would not be ignored. “As the lady behind the curtain said, aren’t you too old for all that nonsense?”
“She’s not a lady, she’s a Maud, and if I want to talk to myself I shall. I am frequently the only person listening, in any case.”
“Mr. Crayle said you were a bit strange. Peculiar, I believe, is the word he used.”
“Far be it from me to argue with the estimable Mr. Crayle, who wears a tea-cozy on his head, never goes outside, and keeps thirteen cats.”
“He told me it’s a knitted cap that his sister made for him.”
“With one hole for a spout and the other for a handle?”
“Hmm.” He put his head on one side and considered the ceiling. “I did wonder at that. I thought perhaps they were meant for his ears to poke through.”
“But that would negate the purpose of a warm hat.”
He looked down at her again, and she thought what a good thing it was that this conversation was entirely in her own mind, because she could never be so bold and talkative with a stranger.
“So you see, sir, one person’s hat is another person’s tea-cozy. Peculiar is in the eye of the beholder.”
He smiled slowly, his gaze leaving her face feeling thoroughly tickled and gruffly appreciated, as if the neighbor’s cat— in gratitude for a saucer of warm milk— had been licking at her cheeks.
In a low voice, he said, “I always considered ordinary to be overrated, in any case.”
She said nothing, but stared past him, finally able to unfix her gaze from the strong, demanding grip of his.
“Well, I’m off back to my biscuit tin then. Until we meet again, Miss Sparrow.” He leaned down to her and his breath, scented with butterscotch, caressed her skin. “Until then, be careful leaping into puddles. One day it might be deeper than you expect.”
February 19, 2022
I enjoyed it…
Even though it’s a strange story. I actually had a hard time following it. I didn’t catch the flashback/forward at first. It’s a Cinderella story, and I admit I got pretty impatient with the “it’s all in my head” nonsense which carries on far too long. But the characters are compelling, the pace is good, and the ending is very satisfying if rather too abrupt. This is my first book by this author. I hope I find this is the first in a series about this peculiar family. I, too, am fond of angels, odd numbers, and destiny.
Even though it’s a strange story. I actually had a hard time following it. I didn’t catch the flashback/forward at first. It’s a Cinderella story, and I admit I got pretty impatient with the “it’s all in my head” nonsense which carries on far too long. But the characters are compelling, the pace is good, and the ending is very satisfying if rather too abrupt. This is my first book by this author. I hope I find this is the first in a series about this peculiar family. I, too, am fond of angels, odd numbers, and destiny.
June 26, 2022
This book had so much potential and I wanted to love, really I did. But I just didn’t. I didn’t have the time to read it all in one go and this might have affected my opinion.
I found it a little silly sadly. I couldn’t really understand the personality of Tuppence and Hazard seemed way, way too idealistic for a man.
But it was a sweet story that would be perfect to read at Christmas. 3 stars
I found it a little silly sadly. I couldn’t really understand the personality of Tuppence and Hazard seemed way, way too idealistic for a man.
But it was a sweet story that would be perfect to read at Christmas. 3 stars
December 4, 2022
A Thrilling and Magical Romance
This is just a perfect read. I loved every word, I loved the and the originality. I had to pause, think, reflect, and then there were all the feelings. I loved the characters and the setting. It was like being in a dream—delicate, nuanced, dizzying. Fresina’s skill astounds me. The Snow Birds was just magical. My favorite Christmas story I’ve read this year.
This is just a perfect read. I loved every word, I loved the and the originality. I had to pause, think, reflect, and then there were all the feelings. I loved the characters and the setting. It was like being in a dream—delicate, nuanced, dizzying. Fresina’s skill astounds me. The Snow Birds was just magical. My favorite Christmas story I’ve read this year.
August 11, 2023
What a fun story!
This book is such a treasure! Ms. Fresina is a jewel and has such an intriguing way with words. Her stories are witty, they have an element of sorrow with a wonderful happily ever after. I know of no one else that writes like her. I have read this one three times and truly take great pleasure in it.
This book is such a treasure! Ms. Fresina is a jewel and has such an intriguing way with words. Her stories are witty, they have an element of sorrow with a wonderful happily ever after. I know of no one else that writes like her. I have read this one three times and truly take great pleasure in it.
January 16, 2022
****************** 6 Stars ***********************
Delightful!
Delightful!
January 17, 2022
Thank you
Somewhere inside me is a Tuppance and I laughed at the marvelous interaction between Hazard and his grandmother. A thoroughly delightful story.
Somewhere inside me is a Tuppance and I laughed at the marvelous interaction between Hazard and his grandmother. A thoroughly delightful story.
April 18, 2022
So much mention of the dead wife; so little time together for the H and h. Meh
January 26, 2023
great story
I really enjoyed this story about Hazard and Tuppence. I would recommend it, it’s interesting, engaging and redemptive. A good read.
I really enjoyed this story about Hazard and Tuppence. I would recommend it, it’s interesting, engaging and redemptive. A good read.
October 15, 2023
Dnf halfway through
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