He jilted her sister. She will never forgive him for it. Can her anger survive a snowing in and a Christmas truce? Emma Caldwell doesn’t hate anyone—except for Hugh Warrilow, the man who jilted her older sister and left like a coward to join the army. Men are clearly not to be trusted, and Emma is determined not to give her heart to one. No, a marriage of convenience is the very thing to suit … is the very thing to suit her.
Hugh Warrilow has been secretly in love with Emma Caldwell for years, so when the time comes to live up to both families’ expectations and marry her sister, he can’t find it in himself to do it. Disgraced and misunderstood, he joins to fight Napoleon on the Continent, hoping he will forget Emma and be forgotten by everyone he has disappointed.
An injury brings Hugh home—just in time for Christmas and the snowstorm that leaves him trapped under the same roof as Emma. How will he explain that his unforgivable act was motivated by how desperately he loved her? Her icy reception doesn’t leave him the chance, nor does it offer much hope for the season’s expectation of peace on earth and goodwill to men.
Book 2 in the Belles of Christmas series, Goodwill for the Gentleman is a standalone Regency holiday romance. The series can be enjoyed in any order:
Unmasking Lady Caroline by Mindy Burbridge Strunk, Book 1
Goodwill for the Gentleman by Martha Keyes, Book 2
The Earl’s Mistletoe Match by Ashtyn Newbold, Book 3
Nine Ladies Dancing by Deborah M. Hathaway, Book 4
A Duke for Lady Eve by Kasey Stockton, Book 5
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This story started out so sad that my heart ached for Hugh. How could everything possibly be put to rights? His intention had never been to hurt people and yet it seemed he couldn’t repair the damage done. I cried when he went to visit the widow. So sad. And that has happened to far too many people in real life. Of course the story doesn’t stay sad but for a while there…
This is a friends to enemies to sweetheart story. The enemy part was so vehemently enemies that one might wonder that it could ever be anything else but Emma is aware of people beyond herself and changing her behavior to give someone else happiness allows her to see where she might have misjudged.
Emma and Hugh are well matched and help build each other up as their characters grow through out the book. I liked both of them.
The idea of being snowed in for Christmas is rather fun for a book setting. I enjoyed the book and think the story could be the basis for a Hallmark movie. Sweet, clean romance.
No sex, language or violence
*I received a complimentary ARC of this book and voluntarily choose to review it.
I enjoyed this story which points out some of the absurdity of some of the social mores of the era. Hugh Warrilow made the decision that he could not honor a marriage agreement set up in his childhood when he was in love with the young lady’s sister. Returning and hoping to set things right he finds there are more complications than he realized. This is fun story of him trying to do the right thing and yet still loving the same sister who wants nothing to do with him. Martha Keyes has given us a fun story of things not going quite as planned.
This book was a good, though without the Christian theme I’m used to. Just because you mention the story of the Prodigal Son doesn’t make a book a Christian book, and to have a character become a vicar/pastor just because “he’s the second son” and doesn’t seem to have a choice is definitely NOT Christian thinking. Becoming a vicar or pastor is a calling, and if you don’t have that, you won’t be able to perform the job of shepherding the flock. If you are looking for a good read, with a relatively moral plot, and a sweet/clean read, this book will fit that bill. This is the second book I’ve read by this author, and it will be my last. I can honestly say I really missed the Christian theme, and feel the book would have been a lot better if it had had it. To be honest, it really comes across strangely that you would pick any profession, but especially a vicar/pastor as a “last resort” to provide for a family when you don’t even take the time to pray or act as if you believe you in God. If you don’t, you certainly have no business taking on this profession. I understand that this is not marketed as Christian fiction. I was extremely disappointed in that the vicar/pastor doesn’t express any belief in God, and is so disappointed with circumstances, and he doesn’t even mention praying about his situation, leaning on God, nothing. Why put it in the book at all, then?
I received a complimentary copy of this book, and the opinion expressed is totally my own.
I’ve enjoyed every read from this author and this one was great as well. This was a novella but I was still able to connect to the h & H and not feel like the story was choppy or moved along too fast. This was just a nice and sweet Christmas story. I bet this would make a good full length read but was still satisfying as is. Good dialogue and character depth and flow of story. Great for a cozy read on a winter day.
This was a sweet regency romance that could be enjoyed any time of year but would be perfect to read while snowed in.
I liked both the hero and heroine. Hugh cared about others. He just didn’t always know the best way to show it. Emma also cared about others, and in this the two were well matched.
I loved the bond between Emma and her sister. I also appreciated that Emma was more reasonable than some other Regency heroines since they sometimes frustrate me with their obstinacy. She had a very good reason to dislike Hugh, but she didn’t let her hatred blind her. She was willing to consider she could be wrong.
I liked this story and this pairing.
I received an ARC, and the above is my own opinion.
It’s a sweet reunion of old friends turn enemies. Both families are neighbors and they always wished their oldest would fall in love and marry. Well Hugh did fall in love with on of the Caldwell’s daughters but it wasn’t the oldest but the second oldest, Emma. Hugh broke Lucy’s heart (the oldest daughter) and ran into the military, for 3 years , now unusable to his regime he has come back home unannounced to be welcomed into ha family and to deliver a ring of the man who saved Hugh’s life with his own to the man’s family. But there was an unexpected visitor at his parents home, the woman he’s still in love with but she hates him, Emma… will she get over her hatred to Hugh for destroying her sister’s heart or will said sister push Emma into giving her heart away for love???
I had an ARC copy of this book, but this is my voluntary and honest opinion. I enjoyed reading this book. The characters were entertaining and the plot was interesting. Martha did a good job with character development and handled the conflict between the characters very well. I would recommend this book.