Snowed in at a castle full of handsome lords, three young ladies are about to have the holiday of their lives… full making sure the Christmas house party runs smoothly. The unexpected arrival of the Earl of Winterton and his nephew Lord Newton upends everything. Not only is Lord Newton flirting with the young ladies Viola is supposed to chaperone, Lord Winterton himself makes her pulse race.
Always takes some twists and turns Wesley Morane, Earl of Winterton, has come to Kingstag Castle in search of a valuable atlas, and he refuses to be deterred by the snow, the house party, his nephew, or even the most ridiculous play ever staged. But before long the only map he wants is one that shows him the way to Viola’s heart…
Hot Rogue on a Cold Night by Maya Rodale
Jilted by a duke: Lady Serena Cavendish was born and bred to be a duchess. Too bad, then, that the Duke of Frye mysteriously and suddenly ended their betrothal.
Seduced by a Rogue: Greyson Jones, an agent of the crown, is the only one who thinks being jilted has made Serena more alluring. When he lucks into an invitation to a Christmas house party at Kingstag Castle to cheer her up–and perhaps find her a husband–he seizes the opportunity to win her heart before they might be parted forever.
On the way to the altar: Their journey to happily ever after involves a ridiculous play, a lovesick swan, a mysterious gift and, of course, a kiss.
Snowy Night with a Duke by Katharine Ashe
The last time Lady Charlotte Ascot bumped into the Duke of Frye, she climbed a tree to avoid him. Sometimes it’s simply easier to run away than to face her feelings for him — overwhelmingly passionate feelings that no modest lady should have! Now, on her way to Kingstag Castle to celebrate the holidays with friends, Charlotte is trapped by a snowstorm at a tiny country inn with the duke of her steamiest dreams.
But Frye has a secret of his own, and Christmas is the ideal time to finally tell the woman he’s always wanted the whole unvarnished truth. Better yet, he’ll show her…
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At The Christmas Wedding is a trilogy of sorts. Although the stories happen at the same time, at the same party, they each work as a stand alone too.
We start with Map Of A Lady’s Heart by Caroline Linden. Our first heroine is Viola Cavendish, a young widow currently working as an assistant to her ‘cousin’ the Duchess of Wessex. It’s a good job, the no mans land between family member and servant, but it puts a roof over her head and a small salary. Viola is paying for her brothers education so it’s important she keep her position. The Duchess has planned a Christmas house party but her sister goes into early labor and she’s off to her side with the Duke in tow. Due to several issues Viola is, for all intents and purposes, left in charge of Kingstag Castle and all the problems this party will bring. Viola, of course, has a sense of impending doom. The visitors are arriving and the Duke’s sisters are putting on a play, what’s to worry about? Wesley Morane, Earl of Winterton is taking care of his teenage nephew (poor guy) and hoping to find an atlas that once belonged to his father. Lightning strikes when he meets Viola. His nephew is in the middle of a mess and Wes is caught kissing Viola. Proposal ensues and happiness arrives.
A Hot Rogue On A Cold Night by Maya Rodale is our second story. Lady Serena Cavendish, sister of the Duke, has been jilted by her long time fiancée the Duke of Frye and this party is to cheer her up. Good luck, she’s depressed and confused. Enter Greyson Jones, friend of the jilter. He’s had a hankering for Serena since they were introduced years ago. Now that she’s available he’s going to take a chance and see where things go. It will be his last opportunity, Greyson is heading off to a new job in India. Greyson succeeds, did you think he wouldn’t? A slight change is made to the play and these two are married as the closing act. Happily ever after.
Our third story is Snowy Night With A Duke by Katharine Ashe. Our jilter, Horace, Duke of Frye, has been gathering intelligence for the crown for years now. The war is over and he’s going home, with a huge secret. The snowstorm strands the Duke and company at an inn where his one true love, Lady Charlotte Ascot, is also stranded. Charlotte is on her way to the house party to console her friend Lady Serena. She’s loved Frye forever and when they see each other for the first time in years it’s as if time stops. Horace gets involved in solving a crime and Charlotte won’t stay out of it. They kiss and more, she discovers his secret, crime is solved, she heads for the party and he leaves for home. When he figures out he’s an idiot he chases Charlotte to Kingstag Castle, kisses happen, proposal happens, happy ending happens.
If you’re looking for a good book on an easy afternoon then At The Christmas Wedding fits the bill perfectly. It’s multiple happy endings will leave you with a warm and fuzzy feeling that’s so very nice. Happy Reading.
At the Christmas Wedding by Caroline Linden, Maya Rodale and Katharine Ashe
Romping through Regency England with Caroline Linden, Maya Rodale and Katharine Ashe during the Christmas Holidays is a lot of fun. I enjoy each of these authors alone but it is a true gift to have them all in one book together. While the stories stand alone, they are woven together with the joy and romance of a Christmas house party.
When Lady Serena Cavendish is jilted by long-time suitor and neighbor, the Duke of Frye, her family plans a Christmas house party to cheer her. In Carline Linden’s “Map of a Lady’s Heart” secretary/widowed cousin Viola is thrown into the role of chaperone and hostess when the dowager duchess becomes ill. With her hands full, Viola has little time for the interesting and handsome, Lord Winterton. Wesley Morane, Earl of Winterton doesn’t except to find such a treasure on his mission to locate his father’s atlas but what he truly seeks may be a map to a certain lady’s heart.
A hot rogue on a cold night might just be what the perfect Lady Serena needs after being jilted. Greyson Jones, an agent of the crown, is not her favorite person. When he shows up at the house party, Serena wants nothing more than to shove him back out into the snow. Grey has a secret. Can he trust her with the power to destroy him? As she learns more about the rogue, Serena begins to question her perfect life and the future she had planned. “Hot Rogue on a Cold Night” by Maya Rodale will definitely brighten your winter blues.
Katharine Ashe’s “Snowy Night with a Duke” is filled with intrigue and romance the way only Katharine can write it. The Duke of Frye jilted his fiancée just months before the wedding. When on a job for the crown, he discovers the reason for his defection, the Lady Charlotte Ascot. Why did she have to show up now, when he was preoccupied? The heart wants what the heart wants. Regardless that he’d been betrothed to Serena Cavendish since they were children, Horace Church, the Duke of Frye knew he couldn’t marry her when he was in love with someone else. Charlotte had crossed an ocean to avoid having to marry. She had nothing against marriage but if she couldn’t have the man she loved…
Christmas is full of magic and romance, in “At The Christmas Wedding,” Caroline Linden, Maya Rodale and Katharine Ashe remind of the power of love.
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I would actually give this a cumulative 4.5/5. This was a three-author Christmas-themed anthology.
Caroline Linden’s Map of a Lady’s Heart I thoroughly enjoyed (5). Linden is one of my go-to romance authors because of her wit and vivid characterizations. In this tale of instant attraction between an earl and a private secretary she doesn’t disappoint. And while this is a novella and by definition shorter in length, I did not feel rushed or short-changed in watching this sweet HEA unfold. There is also as an added bonus, a house party featuring a hastily written farce of a play that keeps the laughs plentiful. This had that heart-warming feel of a well-done Christmas romance…just lovely.
Maya Rodale’s Hot Rogue on a Cold Night was the weakest of the three stories in my opinion (3.75/5). Rodale is new to me, and I found her humor engaging. However, I felt she wrote with more of a modern vibe than the time period called for. Her story of unrequited love coming to fruition from the standpoint of a “mister” falling for the daughter of a duke who also happens to be his best friend’s betrothed feels a bit rushed and forced to me. My favorite part of the story was how the H/h incorporated their story into the play at the end of the novella…funny and sweet.
Katharine Ashe’s Snowy Night with a Duke was a total delight (5). Ashe is also a go-to for me as I love her humor and spunky characters (especially heroines). This one features a self-sacrificing heroine (earl’s daughter) who has fled the country for 2+ years because she has fallen for a friend’s betrothed. The hero is also a self-sacrificing character (a duke) as he calls off the betrothal to spare his fiancée a bleak future with him and his dark secret. I absolutely LOVED these two characters and would have been thrilled to read a full-length novel featuring Charlotte and Frye. However with her fully-developed characters and sense of place (the majority of the story took place away from the house party), it had the feeling of a life all its own. Nicely done.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A collection of Christmas novellas by three amazing authors that was so enjoyable to read! Each could be read as a stand alone book but together the characters are all intertwined. The stories are centered around a house party at Kingstag Castle as a snowstorm threatens.
Caroline Linden’s Map of a Lady’s Heart involves Viola, secretary of the Duchess of Wessex who is hosting the party and Wesley Morane, the Earl of Winterton. Wes has come to the party in search of an old atlas and ends up with Viola trying to help. The attraction between the two is gradual but wonderful to feel the emotions being developed. Caroline Linden has a brilliant way of setting up the characters and making you feel part of the story. Does Wes find his map and why did he need it to begin with? Read to find out and you will not be disappointed.
Hot Rouge on a Cold Night by Maya Rodale definitely helps melt the snow! Lady Serena has been jilted by the the Duke of Frye. It is her mother, the Duchess of Wessex who arranged the party to cheer her up and possibly find her a new suitor. Greyson Jones, an acquaintance of both Serena and the aforementioned Duke attends, and tries to get as close to Serena as he can. He has been in love with her for years but never hoped to gain her attention. Through a series of very humorous meetings they are thrown together. Will Serena ever return his feelings? Can he win her? Read to find out and prepare to be entertained!
Snowy Night With a Duke by Katherine Ashe
In the conclusion of this trilogy, Horace Church, the Duke of Frye(who jilted Lady Serena above!) and Lady Charlotte Ascot (one of Serena’s good friends) are stranded at an inn as they are trying to make their way to Kingstag Castle. Both have secretly been attracted to each other and when thrown together with a mystery to solve passions come to the surface.
Read this trilogy, you will really enjoy each story! Well done
This trio is a Regency Anthology featuring three novellas; and is a sequel to The Lady Authors’ bestselling anthology At the Duke’s Wedding.
“Map of a Lady’s Heart” by Caroline Linden
“Hot Rogue on a Cold Night” by Maya Rodale
“Snowy Night With a Duke” by Katharine Ashe
Map of a Lady’s Heart by Caroline Linden
Viola Cavendish has her hands full with the guests and a snow that doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. She has to make sure the Christmas party runs without a hitch. Lord Newton and his uncle Earl of Winterton (Wesley Morane) arriving unexpectedly throws everything off kilter. Viola is supposed to be chaperoning the young ladies, but it is hard to do when Lord Winterton makes her heart race. Wesley has come to the castle in search of a valuable atlas. He refuses to be deterred by everything that is going on; the snow, the house party, his nephew, or even the silly play that is being staged. Before much time goes by, though, the only map he is trying to find is the one that leads him to Viola’s heart.
Hot Rogue on a Cold Night by Maya Rodale
Lady Serena Cavendish was born to be a duchess. She was jilted by the Duke of Frye, who mysteriously and without any warning ended their engagement. Greyson Jones, an agent of the crown thinks Serena is alluring. He isn’t concerned about her being jilted. He lucks out getting an invitation to the Christmas house party at the castle. He thinks maybe the visit to the castle will cheer her up and maybe find her a prospect of another husband. He decides to try for a chance at winning her heart himself. They will both be involved in the play, come across a lovesick swan, have a mysterious gift, and a kiss on their way to a walk down the aisle.
Snowy Night with a Duke by Katharine Ashe
Lady Charlotte Ascot was always trying to avoid the Duke of Frye. Last time she bumped into him, she climbed a tree. She thought it was easier to run away than to have to face the feelings she has for him. She has passionate feelings that no young lady with modesty should have. She is on her way to Kingstag Castle for the party with friends. When they are hit by a snowstorm, she becomes trapped at a tiny inn with the duke of her dreams. She doesn’t realize Frye has a secret of his own that he wants to tell her. He wants to tell her how he has always wanted her, or better yet, show her.
Loved the three holiday stories featuring the lords and ladies. I love the authors writing styles, and each of their stories. Can’t wait to see if they do another anthology later.