The death of her husband has thrown Lady Maria Kersey’s future into doubt—and her heart into the arms of a man she cannot have. But Christmas with the Widows’ Club will bring choices—and surprises–that may change all her holidays to come . . . Maria just gave birth to her first child, a beautiful daughter—but the event is shrouded in sorrow. A month earlier, Maria’s husband, Lord Kersey, was … killed in a duel under compromising circumstances. Worse, Maria’s failure to provide a male heir has stripped her of any hope of an inheritance. Scorned by the ton, one of her few allies is her late husband’s steward, Hugh Granger. Hugh is everything her husband was not—warm, charming—and penniless. . . . Hugh has fallen desperately in love with Maria, but has little to offer but comfort. As their attraction becomes impossible to resist, Maria flees to London to spend Christmas with her dearest friends, a group of widows who lost their own husbands in the Battle of Waterloo. Little does she know the holidays will reveal a twist of fate she never expected—proving that the greatest Christmas gift is the magic of true love . . . Visit us at www.kensingtonbooks.com
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War and stupid husbands create too many widows, as this series has shown. However, the ladies are all magnificent, as are the men that they end up with.
Maria, Lady Kersey has been widowed twice. She married her first husband, William, while they were both too young, but he was off to war and died in Waterloo. A few years later, still an innocent, she foolishly eloped with Alan, Lord Kersey, who she thought loved her, but he was a cad, a rake and unfaithful, and dies in a duel before their child was born. Without any settlements having been drawn up, she and her daughter are at the mercy of the new earl. Fortunately, it takes a while before the new heir is found and meanwhile she finds herself in a mutual attraction to Hugh Granger, the steward. But when the new earl is found and comes with his family to take residence, she finds that the new earl and his oldest son are made from the same cloth as her late husband. Hugh would marry her, but he has his own possible family scandal. Lucky, Maria has her cousin, Jane, the former ladies of the Widow’s Club and their husband have her back.
I read an ARC provided by NetGalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.
The Widow’s Christmas Surprise was a story that, frankly, I wasn’t expecting from the title. And if like me, you were thinking of a lighthearted holiday romance – then no, that’s not what you’ll find with Maria and Hugh. There is darkness here, some heavy subjects even in the modern world that while providing an interesting backdrop to the romance still should have a bit of a warning attached (in my opinion). You will encounter conversations about suicide, violence, and definitely a cheating unfaithful husband who meets his end during a duel. And yes, he was indeed a nasty piece of work.
Although twice widowed, Maria is young and perhaps that explains why she so often seemed immature to me. As a widow, she should have known about several things that she seemed to have no clue about and her actions often took me away from truly being able to like or be on her side throughout this romance. I eventually liked Maria as she grew a bit through experience and Hugh’s presence, but I never felt like she deserved the man who loved her. And for that reaction, I am somewhat sorry, but nothing has changed my mind – not even a very satisfying ending.
Hugh had my attention and my heart from the very beginning. His devotion to Maria, even from afar and helping where he could, was precious to observe. Although he has his own troubles brewing his love for Maria never faltered. I liked Hugh, it’s just as simple as that.
I wish Maria’s daughter had made more appearances in this story. Perhaps seeing her cherish her little one, bond with her might have changed how I felt… but that happened only rarely.
I know it sounds like I hated this story which is far from the truth – I did enjoy The Widow’s Christmas Surprise, just not the way I expected to, and mostly through a few, select character’s actions. Not all Christmas centered Romances are going to be light and festive, some will be dark and brody and this was the case for me with Hugh and Maria’s tale.
*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher, Kensington Books via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*
I can see why some commenters felt that the lovely cover of this book lead them to believe that this was yet another fluffy Regency tale with no substance. I for one am glad that this was deeper, more complicated and more thought-provoking that most Regency romances. The book does a great job or portraying the difficult situation that women in British society faced if they became widows. Even if they had titles and lived in luxury, if their husband died (which was usual because the husbands were usually much older), the women had no rights or property unless they had a son as an heir or a pre-nuptial agreement. In this case, Maria is twice a widow at a very young age and now has a daughter to provide for, but she cannot inherit her last husband’s estate because she did not bear a son. She believes herself to be at the mercy of the cousin who is next in line to be the Lord and she has no inheritance or rights. And she is supposed to be in mourning for 1 year, for a man who cheated on her. The wonderfully complicated plot tells her story of plight, budding romance the evil intent and larceny of the new lord. The book is well-written and the hero, Hugh Granger is a swoon-worthy romantic lead. I do not want to give away all the plot twists, but believe me that this book is very satisfying, romantic and enlightening. And it ends on a Christmas high. I loved it! I won a review copy of the book and I thank the author.
THE WIDOW’S CHRISTMAS SURPRISE is Jenna Jaxon’s 4th book of the Widows’ Club, and this tale focus on twice-widowed, Marie Kersey, who finds herself in dire straight after giving birth to her daughter instead of a son. She turns to her ally, Hugh Granger, her late husband’s steward. Hugh is desperately in love with Marie but has little to offer but comfort. Deceit is the air after the arrival of new Lord Kersey who plots to lure Marie into marriage with his son, but she flees to London to spend Christmas with her dearest friends, former widows of the Widows’ Club. There she receives her greatest Christmas surprise. THE WIDOW’S CHRISTMAS SURPRISE is a warm, romantic holiday tale about two people on different social standing, and the guest appearances of the former widows of Jenna Jaxon’s previous books to give Marie moral support. Jenna Jaxon doesn’t just write romances but the injustice women of the Regency era face like Marie who lost her financial security in failing of producing a male heir at the time of her husband’s death. I received this complimentary copy from the author, and this is my honest review.
The Widow’s Christmas Surprise by Jenna Jaxon is book 5 in The Widow’s Club Series. This is the story of Maria Kersey and Hugh Granger. I have read the previous book but felt this can be a standalone book if you want to do so. Maria is a young widower whose husband died in a dual after he was caught with another women. Now she and her newly born daughter are left without anything really. Hugh is steward who has feelings for Maria but he is limited to what he can do. Of course their journey isnn’t a easy one but I did enjoy their story.
Lady Maria Kersey has just given birth to a lovely baby girl but can’t celebrate much given her late husband’s scandalous death in a duel just a month prior. Since the estate is left without an heir, Maria’s future rests on the largesse of the new earl once he is located. Her late husband’s reputation has left her own name blackened by London society and Maria is left with few friends. One of the few who show her any concern is Hugh Granger, the estate’s steward with whom Maria would like to be much more than friends. If only the charming man weren’t penniless.
Hugh has long admired Maria and finds her irresistible, even though he can’t offer her a stable future. Distraught at the new earl’s underhanded behavior in covering up the discovery of her late husband’s will, Maria opts to spend Christmas in London with her cousin and friends, never expecting events to unfold that will secure the happiness that so eluded her in her two previous marriages.
Wow was this book not what I expected. [You may risk what some would consider spoilers from here, but I’ll try to refrain as much as I can in this thought session.] No light-hearted Christmassy romp here. We actually have some pretty heavy topics introduced a bit here, although they were handled well. Maria was the big issue for me. I’m not sure I’ve ever read a sillier, more immature heroine. Yes, I understand she was still very young, but after two marriages, one to a rakish philanderer, one would think she’d have developed a bit more understanding and lost some of her naivete, or at least grown a spine. Maria’s cousin Jane was even worse in her own way. As a widow Maria had no need of a chaperone or such strict control over her movements and yet Jane was constantly nagging her. Jane kept on and on complaining about delaying her trip to visit her own lover in Scotland, even after Maria had ceased asking her to stay. Jane was definitely part of the reason Maria was still so naïve and unable to stand up for herself; she kept Maria dependent, even telling Maria she was to young to hear the story of Hansel and Gretel. (I had hoped this was a joke but given Jane’s insistence on treating Maria like a recalcitrant child, I’m not so sure.) When Maria truly did need companionship to save her from unwanted advances, Jane wasn’t there, and Maria kept on making the same stupid decisions right up to the end.
My annoyance with Maria aside, the basic story here wasn’t bad, although the dialogues were a bit cumbersome. The romance here, as well as the characterization of Hugh and Maria, was rather flat. We didn’t get much in the way of time these two actually spent together so their relationship didn’t seem very believable or deep to me. I appreciated them standing up for themselves in the end, but even that didn’t seem to be a permanent change, especially on Maria’s part. Their intimacy was also lacking for me and Maria was rather aggressive with Hugh to the point that I felt sorry for him. Especially given her previous description of her physical reaction and attraction to another man, however unwanted, just undermined her feelings for Hugh for me and that connection was never really strengthened. The villain here was believable, if dumb, and got much further than he should have simply because Maria didn’t bother to think and make inquiries about her situation, and nor did her supposedly worldly cousin. I also found it a bit odd that Maria’s baby was only trotted out a couple of times and otherwise mostly forgotten, though I suppose this is understandable given Maria’s immaturity. I also wound up feeling sorry for Maria at how fickle her friends were in their failure to wholly believe her over a known villain. She certainly deserved better friends and family and I wound up being proud of Hugh for his treatment of his own family and for how he and Maria went after what they truly wanted.
This story was a bit slow for me and I struggled to maintain my interest. Given my failure to connect with the characters in this book and the two previous installments, I’m not sure if I’ll continue this series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Kersey Hall, Essex – 1817
Alan, the Earl of Kersey is writing his last will and testament. Most of the estate will pass to his wife, Maria, and the baby she is carrying. Alan is preparing to face a duel with Lord Remington whose wife he was caught bedding.
Jane, Lady John Tarkington is at Maria’s side as she gives birth to her daughter, Jane. The last month has been difficult for Maria after her husband was killed in a duel for being unfaithful to her. If Alan has left her no funds, she is in a fix. She cannot move to London because the gossips about Alan would ruin her. In addition, Maria was pregnant before they married and the gossips can count and, of course, they might even wonder if Alan is Jane’s father.
As Maria waits to hear from Alan’s solicitor in London as to her monetary fate, she decides to move to the dower house. Mr. Hugh Granger, steward for the estate has been very helpful to her in this difficult time. Maria and Hugh find themselves drawn to one another. Word finally comes that a distant relative has been found which is a man, his wife, and two sons from Virginia. When they take possession of Kersey Hall, Maria finds that the new Lord Kersey is an arrogant and cold man as is one of his sons. Before long, the new Earl’s family invites Maria and Jane to move from the dower house back to Kersey Hall.
Maria is disgusted by the arrogance of the Earl’s son, Lord Wetherby. His feelings towards women are the same as Alan’s were and she tries to avoid the man at all costs. Before long, Maria learns that the London solicitor has news for her and she and Jane hurry to London to meet with him. What could be the news awaiting her?
This is the fourth book I have read by this author. I’m sorry to say that for the most part the stories seem to be stressful and overdone. However, I think the author has some very good talent. Just need to remember that sometimes less is more. I do look forward to reading more by her.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Maria doesn’t know what her future holds. He profligate husband is dead, killed in a duel. Maria is pregnant and soon gives birth to a beautiful daughter, not a son who could inherit his father’s title. While waiting for the appearance of the new earl, Maria seeks advice from and befriends her late husband’s estate manager. She and Hugh Granger soon fall in love. There are complications on both sides that make considering marriage difficult (to say the least). Can they resolve the issues that threaten to keep them apart?
This is quite an emotional story. Hugh and Maria find moments of happiness in the chaos of their lives. Maria married very young and is being forced to grow up fast. She faces an uncertain future, made even more so by the arrival of the new Earl’s family. The Earl is a petty, jealous, greedy man. His oldest son and heir is slime. Both are manipulative blackguards who would have Maria’s (and her daughter) inheritance. Hugh Granger is a wonderful hero – kind, caring, and protective. His future hangs in limbo, due to his brother’s attempted suicide. Hugh’s sister Arabella and Maria’s cousin Jane are delightful. Jane adds a dash of snarky humor a time or two. Gareth, Marquess of Kinellan is awesome at protecting the ladies. Sometimes happily ever after seems impossible, but Christmas miracles do happen. This is a good story. I recommend it.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.
Married a short while and pregnant, Maria is now a widow after her husband is killed in a duel. After the birth of her daughter, she waits impatiently for the new heir to be found. Thank goodness for cousin Jane and the tender regard of Hugh Granger. Instead of security when the new heir and his family arrive, sly machinations are underfoot. Complications force Hugh to refrain from asking Maria to marry, but the Christmas season can bring miracles. A sweet love story to read for the holidays. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.
Maria is twice widowed twice. She is young and now has a daughter to raise. If not for her husband’s infidelities which led to her death she might have had a chance for an advantageous match. Unsure of her standing and her financial situation she makes do with the help of Hugh, the steward who is a very kind man she can’t help but fall for. She also depends on her cousin Jane who is like a mama bear who keeps reminding Maria not to make the same mistakes. When the new Earl is found she is on precarious ground. But when a lost will is found circumstances change and Maria is used as a pawn. Can Hugh help her find the truth and will his circumstances change so he can marry her? I received a complimentary copy and I am voluntarily reviewing.
A woman, Maria, and her young daughter are left destitute after her husband dies in a duel. Hugh, the estate manager, comes to her rescue. It was nice to see Jane and the other characters from past books in this series. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Kensington books for my honest review.
I did enjoy this story, it moved along at a good pace. I couldn’t help but like the hero of the story, Hugh Granger. He was a caring and protective man. Yes, Maria, Lady Kelsey was immature but she had been married at a very young age and had little worldly experience. Hugh and Maria were very attracted to each other but a number of things stood in their way. Not the least, was Hugh’s sense of honour and conniving relatives. This was an entertaining read. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Widow’s Christmas Surprise by Jenna Jaxon was a historical romance with almost too much reality. It opens with a man writing out a last minute will. He was not participate in a duel in an hour and he was preparing to die. It served him right. The man he had wronged had very right, and he had wronged so many others. He would not, however, wrong his wife and unborn child. He had the will witness and pressed it into the hands of his steward and bade him set off for London and deliver it to the hands of his solicitor. He was, indeed, correct. He was killed. Several months later his wife was delivered of a girl and the search for the heir commenced. It took several months to locate him. In the meantime, Marie, the Dowager Lady Kersey, toured the Dowager House with the steward, Mr. Granger, and they developed a plan to refurbish it so she and her daughter could move it before the new earl arrived. That plan may endear her enough that he would allow her to stay and provide a small allowance. At the same time, feelings began to grow in each of them for the other: Marie and Granger.
Quite a good plot involving deceit and suicide gave this book its compelling feel. The characters were good, and strong. Maria was very young, eighteen, and had been widowed twice. She had sworn off men. Her cousin Jane was there to help reinforce this pledge. Through many ins and outs, the will was revealed, and things changed for everyone. The plot was inflammatory and heart-wrenching. The characters either inspired hatred or engendered deep sympathies. It was an education in the expectations and legalities of English society at the time. This was a well written novel with so many facets it was difficult to bring them all together to a satisfactory conclusion. I recommend it.
I was invited to read a free ARC of The Widow’s Christmas Surprise by Netgalley. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #thewidowschristmassurprise
The cover of this book is gorgeous and it rings Christmas. Now onto the story, if memory serves me right Kersey went running from a house party and Maria followed him. I thought this book might be reformed bad boy but sadly, it is not. I did not remember Maria’s age until later in the story when I realized she could have only been 18 or 19. No wonder she was so clueless about everything. Her cousin is also a widow with four children and she is so controlling. Both of these women had nothing but lustful thoughts throughout the entire book and not about just one guy. I know, right!! I need more depth than that in the main characters. Granger on the other hand was a great character. There are some heavy issues (especially Granger’s brother) which I think were dealt with really well. The villain isn’t really that villainous. Only the setting is Christmassy not the story. I wanted to so love this story.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley.
Maria just gave birth to her first child, a beautiful daughter–but the event is shrouded in sorrow. A month earlier, Maria’s husband, Adam Lord Kersey, was killed in a duel after being found in a compromising situation. Worse, Maria’s failure to provide a male heir has stripped her of any hope of an inheritance. Scorned by the ton, one of her few allies is her late husband’s steward, Hugh Granger. Hugh is everything her husband was not–warm, charming–and penniless.
This is the fifth book in the series but is easily read on its own. I though oh a Christmas book it will be a light cheerful read but it certainly wasn’t & I found it a struggle. This year I’ve wanted to read light, happy books to counter all that’s happening in the world. This was a well written book & flowed well. I loved Hugh but did wonder how on earth had he fallen in love with Maria. Maria had been widowed twice in a very short space of time & is still very young, after these events you’d think she’d have some maturity but she was so immature that it grated on me – she didn’t even know what a dower house was! I’ve found it hard to decide how many stars to give this book as some aspects are a 4 but others 2
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
If you’re expecting a nice lighthearted Christmas story, this isn’t it! I was a bit thrown off when the subject of suicide was brought up. Don’t get me wrong, the story isn’t that bad but it has some serious issues and some of the characters just irritated me.
Maria is one of the most immature heroines I’ve ever read and I really didn’t feel any connection to her. As for her romance with Hugh, I felt no sparks between them at all. I did cheer her on, though, when she finally stood up for herself!! As for Hugh, I found him to be a real sweetheart and I felt so sad for him at what happened to his brother.
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Alan, Earl of Kersey, was preparing his will, in two hours he had to fight a duel and was unsure if he would survive. He didn’t. He was a scoundrel and cad and not been faithful. His sweet young wife had been left nothing in his will. This was her second marriage, The first husband died at Waterloo.
Maria, Lady Kersey, delivered a beautiful baby girl. They had hoped for a boy to take over the title. Since she had a girl she could not inherit the title or the entailed Property. Once another was found she would have to leave unless he was super nice.
Mr. Hugh Granger was the steward at Kersey Hall and had been for some time. Her cousin asked if there was a Dowager House and what kind of shape was it in. Mr. Granger said there was and took them for an inspection. It needed some small repairs. She felt she needed to know him longer. She didn’t want to make the same mistake she had made with Alan. His brother had been shot and his sister needed him home right away.
So much was going on in this story, waiting for the new Earl, his brother, the Tate tenants, etc. It kept the tale interesting and entertaining. The characters were warm and comforting, so realistic. It was a worthwhile book.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.