Monday, November 28, 2011

Review: Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish

Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish (Duke's Daughters - Book 1) by Grace Burrowes


Publication Date: October 4, 2011
Publisher: Sourcebooks Inc.
Genre: Historical Romance
Pages: Paperback, 404pp
ISBN-13: 978-1402261541
ISBN: 1402261543


(Received for an honest review from Sourcebooks Casablanca)


Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, IndieBound


Grace Burrowes on the WEB: website, blog, facebook, twitter


Excerpt from Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish


Synopsis:


ALL SHE WANTS IS PEACE AND ANONYMITY...


Lady Sophie Windham has maneuvered a few days to herself at the ducal mansion in London before she must join her family for Christmas in Kent. Suddenly trapped by a London snowstorm, she finds herself with an abandoned baby and only the assistance of a kind, handsome stranger standing between her and a complete disaster.


BUT SOPHIE'S HOLIDAY IS ABOUT TO HEAT UP...


With his estate in ruins, Vim Carpentier sees little to feel festive about this Christmas. His growing attraction for Sophie Windham is the only thing that warms his spirits - but when Sophie's brothers whisk her away, Vim's most painful holiday memories are reawakened.

It seems Sophie's been keeping secrets, and now it will take much more than a mistletoe kiss to make her deepest wishes come true...


Thoughts

Ever since I had the opportunity to review, The Heir by Grace Burrowes, I have been enchanted by the Windham family. I had no idea until I got, Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish for review that Burrowes intended to tell the stories of the Windham women, as well as, the men. I have read and reviewed a lot of historical fiction and historical romance over the years and rarely does an author come along that really gasps the essence of the Regency period the way Grace Burrowes does. Her characters truly embody the time period and classic elegance that surrounded it. Her settings and descriptions are spot on and leave the reader feeling as if they've been transported to another time and place and Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish is no exception.


Regency London at Christmastime! As many of you know I love Christmas. Everything from the decorating, carol singing, cooking and opening! This is a time of year for hope and peace and I think Grace Burrowes conveys that holiday spirit in Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish. She gives readers a novel that will pull at their heart strings and renew their faith in miracles. One of the many reasons I believe readers enjoy a good romance, is because they want to believe in true love and finding that one person that completes them and this story is certainly in that vane.

When Lady Sophie Windham decides to take a break from her family for a few days before Christmas she has no idea what the season will bring with it. A abandoned baby, a horrific snow storm, and the man of her dreams. Burrowes portrays Sophie as a woman of means, she has never worked hard for anything and lives a life of privilege. But that does not make Sophie high minded, nor does she give off an air of entitlement. She has a kind heart, and often works with charities for people and animals. I think Burrowes did a wonderful job of making Sophie the kind of character readers need this time of year. A woman with a heart of gold, who faces conflict and heartbreak, but still gets her happy-ever-after.


Vim was just the perfect compliment to Sophie. He was strong and commanding, yet he had a tortured heart. It's obvious to the reader even from the beginning that this man has been hurt in his life and finding love will be no simple task. Burrowes gives readers a man who is on the verge of losing everything, but finds something he never knew he was missing. I loved the fact that Vim had an affinity for children. Regardless of the fact that a Lord probably wouldn't normally know much about changing diapers, he helps Sophie with the child her maid abandons her with in such a way it is easy to see that he is a very caring and loving man. The perfect man for a woman like Sophie. He was also very sexy and not afraid of his body or his longings. I like a hero who in command of his emotions, passionate and expressive and Vim certainly was that.

This is such a wonderful romance for the season. I tend to read a lot of holiday themed books around this time of year and I can honestly say this one is definitely my favorite of the year. I could go so far as to say it's my favorite Christmas read to date, and that's a huge compliment to the author. I really enjoyed this one. My only criticism is that I felt Val's story should have come out before Sophie's. Though there is barely a month between the two releases, it seemed only logical that Valentine's story be told first. But that certainly didn't take away from the wonderment and true Christmas spirit of Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish. If you haven't another holiday themed book this year, this has to be the one! 



Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.


I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!







Grace Burrowes is the author of The Heir, which was named a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2010, and The Soldier which is named a Publishers Weekly Best Spring Romance of 2011. She is hard at work on stories for the five Windham sisters, the first of which, Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish, is already on shelves. Grace is a practicing attorney specializing in family law and lives in rural Maryland.

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