Monday, January 13, 2014

What I Read This Weekend

What I Read This Weekend  . . .


A Bride for Christmas by Aileen Fish -- Regency Romance novella

Nash Sinclair is home from war and home for the holidays. He adores his family and enjoys visiting with his nephews but he feels a bit lost, like something is missing. Perhaps it's time to find a wife. Doing so is easy but having a happy marriage such as his parents and siblings enjoy is not so easy. He begins by practicing his charm on his sister-in-law's sister Lady Julianna. Lady Julianna is immune to flattery though Nash claims he's just being friendly. She has no interested in men or marriage. She is happy living in the country caring for her ill aunt. When her aunt dies she'll travel and write about her adventures. There's no room for love in her life and so she tells Nash the only man she could ever love is one who will slay dragons for her. She thinks that will put him off but she doesn't count on Nash's stubbornness. He sets out to slay Julianna's dragons and convince her they truly belong together. For that he needs some help from his irrepressible young nephews and adorable young niece.

I just adored this story! I loved the characters so much! The Sinclairs are an awesome family. They remind me a lot of the Musgroves in Persuasion. They're so loving and caring and an all around NICE family. It makes a change to have a hero from a loving family. It makes the romance seem more genuine because he knows what a happy marriage looks like and actually wants what his siblings have instead of being blindsided. He also knows the heroine in advance because her sister is married to his brother, yet he's never properly appreciated her because he's been at war and not searching for a bride. Nash is a great hero. He's handsome, caring, a wounded war veteran and very witty. I was completely charmed by his sense of humor and I loved his interactions with his family. It all felt so real and so familiar to me. Julianna is a heroine I can really really relate to. Like her, I have no desire to marry or have a family. I'd rather travel and write like her. She thinks she's selfish and I'm selfish that way too. Like Nash and Julianna, I crave solitude from my crazy, loud, loving family. The romance comes together in such an incredible way. I just adored the moment when they realize they're in love. It's a true LOVE scene, no physical contact, no racing hormones, just a deep emotional connection. The hero and heroine get each other completely. I also loved that she had doubts. She didn't doubt her love for Nash but she doubted whether she was cut out for marriage. I can see myself feeling exactly the same way in the same situation. I loved how Nash won her over. It's very sweet. Julianna's final decision happened a bit too quickly for me but this is a novella and not a novel so I guess the author ran out of space. I'm not usually a big fan of children in novels (or in real life) but they're used sparingly here and help to advance the story in a charming sort of way. 


I can't gush enough about the aww factor of this book. If you're looking for something truly sweet and heartwarming you MUST read this story. It's secular too so that's a nice bonus.

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