My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing
When Penny and Robert meet again on Christmas Eve, will their childhood love bloom into something more? They only have the Twelve Days of Christmas to find out.
Robert Ellsworth, born the son of a wealthy gentleman, is now a mere steward in the service of another. While his position brings him satisfaction, it does not make him much of a matrimonial catch. It hardly matters, as Robert’s heart has long belonged to his childhood friend. When a chance meeting brings them face to face on Christmas Eve, he cannot bring himself to hope that she feels the same.
When she lost her parents years before, Penelope Clark also lost contact with her dearest friend. Visiting the community where she grew up, Penny is taken aback by how handsome Robert has grown, and how little her girlhood infatuation has diminished. But when a Christmas Ball leads to a mistletoe kiss him, she finds herself as much in love as ever before. Unfortunately for her, Robert confesses his heart already belongs to a mysterious woman.
Through the Twelve Days of Christmas, Penny and Robert each make a wish for the other’s happiness. Will they realize only confessing their hearts will grant those wishes before their time together is spent?
My Review
This novella is perfect for holiday reading! It feels closer to a novel than short story, I think because of the full arc of the plot and characters. I admired Robert from book six in the Branches of Love series, Courting the Vicar's Daughter, and how he stepped into the role of steward and helped repair much of the damage done by Harry's father and the previous steward. I love when supporting characters get their own story! Robert and Penny are reunited after a long time apart and it was lovely to see their friendship renew. They both harbored feelings for the other in the past, and now that they are in a position to pursue romance, they each feel unworthy of the other, not realizing that they are actually a perfect match in circumstance as well as affection. I thoroughly enjoyed all the Christmas traditions of the era as Penny and Robert fall in love and their friends help them towards their happily ever after.
(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)
Don't miss the other books in the Branches of Love series . . .
Don't miss the other books in the Branches of Love series . . .
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