Snow-Kissed Proposals
A snowy Victorian Christmas - Two festive short
stories!
In The Christmas Runaway by Jenni Fletcher: wilful, independent
heiress, Fiona MacKay, impulsively runs away to a remote Scottish tower where
she’s trapped in the snow with equally headstrong, deliciously
dishevelled Angus Drummond.
In Their Snowbound Reunion by Elisabeth Hobbes: fifteen years
ago, Amy Munroe and Anthony Matthews were cruelly parted, and each blames the
other. When Amy becomes Anthony’s new housekeeper,
their passion is reawakened!
My Review:
Snow-Kissed Proposals is Harlequin Historical’s
latest book, which features two short stories. It is the perfect Christmas book
to curl up with in front of a roaring fire, with a huge mug of hot chocolate.
The Christmas Runaway by Jenni Fletcher
Fiona has run away from home after confrontation with her
Father, over her distaste for his choice of Fiancée. She decides the only way
to get through to him, is to do something dramatic to bring him to his senses. Fiona
decides the perfect place to stay, is with her old school friend Mhairi’s, in
the middle of nowhere! Fiona first meets Angus Drummond when she is lost in the
Scottish wilderness. Angus turns out to Mhairi’s older brother and escorts
Fiona to their home. The two make a very bad first impression on each other.
Mhairi isn’t expecting her old friend, but welcomes her with open arms, telling
her she can stay as long as she wants. Angus is annoyed with his sister, it’s
November and once the snow arrives, they could potentially be stuck with Fiona
for months.
Angus and Fiona keep clashing, but eventually they make
amends when he takes her to visit his father’s whiskey distillery, which he is
currently restoring. The two begin to get closer, and their feelings intensify
when Fiona gets lost in the snow one night and Angus rescues her. Just when the
two consider getting together, it is revealed that Fiona has a secret that
could ruin her chances of being with proud Angus.
I love Jenni Fletcher’s books, and this one was no
exception! The Christmas Runaway was such an enjoyable story. The characters
were all really likeable and Angus reminded me of Jamie, from Outlander! As
well as the romance between the leading characters, I loved Fiona and Mhairi’s
supportive, sisterly friendship throughout the book. Everything was really well
researched, and I felt like I learnt a few things about the time period too. I
had some laugh out loud moments, at Angus and Fiona’s quips at each other. And I
now desperately want to visit Scotland!
Their Snowbound Reunion by Elisabeth Hobbes
Anthony Matthews and Amy Pritchard were young lovers.
However, things turned sour when, on the verge of proposing, Anthony leaves
unannounced. Devastated, Amy is left behind looking after her horrible poet
Father, who treats her like a servant. Eventually she marries another man.
Fifteen years later, Amy is now a widow and looking for a
job. She is employed as a housekeeper at Anthony’s house. Although, she is
assured that it is highly unlikely she will ever see him, as he will be living elsewhere.
Amy isn’t too worried, afterall, she is fifteen years older, and her name is
now Mrs Napier Munroe. However, one day she receives a note from Anthony asking
her to meet with him the next day, as he is visiting and would like to go over
the affairs of the house. When Anthony steps out of his carriage, he is
gobsmacked to discover Amy is his new housekeeper!
Anthony is a widow himself and has two young children with
him. The weather takes a turn, and what should have been a quick visit ends
with Anthony and the children being unable to leave due to heavy snow. Amy and
Anthony are extremely frosty with each other, both blaming the other for how
their relationship ended. They eventually begin to get closer but agree that if
they are to try and forge something new together, then they need to finally
discuss what happened fifteen years ago. Will they be able to resolve their
differences, and enjoy Christmas together as a new family, or will the truth
about what actually happened tear them apart once more?
I really enjoyed this story. I liked the historical research
Elisabeth weaved into the story, such as Victorian mourning and mourning dress.
Both characters were approaching middle age, and although they had gone on to
marry people they cared about, nothing matched the love they had once felt for
each other, fifteen years prior. It felt like a second chance at happiness for
them both, and I loved the twist near the end! I look forward to reading more of Elisabeth's books in future.
If you want something historical and romantic this
Christmas, then this is the perfect book for you! Short stories can sometimes
seem rushed, but both of these were perfectly paced. I thoroughly enjoyed them
both and read the book within a couple of days! Highly recommended.
Thank you very much to
Author
Bios –
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