His Mistletoe Marchioness

Very good second chance romance. Clara has been widowed for two years and was finally ready to venture back into society. She was nervous about this house party, however, because six years earlier it had been the scene of her greatest heartbreak and humiliation. All she could do was hope that it had been forgotten by others attending, only to have those hopes dashed when the cause of that humiliation was also there.

Six years after breaking the heart of the woman he loved, Hugh was back at the scene of the crime. This time he hoped to have a chance to explain his previous actions and beg for Clara’s forgiveness. He had made many mistakes over the past few years but was determined to turn over a new leaf.

I enjoyed the rekindling of the relationship between Clara and Hugh. In spite of the way things had ended between them six years earlier, it was clear that their feelings were still there. Clara has grown a lot in self-confidence, but the thought of being the center of gossip again stings her pride. Though she struggled through that first dinner, I loved how she took the initiative the next day to address the tension between them. Hugh came to the house party with the intent of mending things with Clara. Unfortunately for him, he realized that his reputation would make it more difficult. I liked his surprise and appreciation of the changes he saw in her. As the house party activities constantly threw them together, they discovered that it was still easy to talk to each other about anything. I loved how they were able to share their grief and the understanding that came with it. It was easy to see that Hugh was still head over heels for Clara. Clara felt the same, but she was also wary of trusting Hugh again, especially when “well-meaning” advice aggravated those fears. I liked how Hugh faced that hurdle honestly.

But there was a much larger problem looming. A new arrival to the house party also had his eye on Clara and made no secret of it. While she is flattered by his attention, there is also something about him that doesn’t sit quite right either. Hugh was a bit more blatant in his distrust and displayed a pretty big dose of jealousy. Things go from bad to worse when someone from Hugh’s past makes an appearance with a devastating claim. I ached for Clara, whose heart was shattered once again. I also hurt for Hugh, who once again found honor taking precedence over what he wanted most in his life. It was clear that there was something suspicious going on, and help came from a very unexpected source. The confrontation was very well done with a very satisfying resolution. I loved Hugh’s big moment as he laid his feelings out there in front of everyone. The epilogue was a nice look at their lives a year later.

I also enjoyed some of the secondary characters. Clara’s brother and sister-in-law provided excellent moral support for Clara. I loved the way that Anne seemed to know just when Clara needed an extra little push. I also liked that their friendship with Hugh had continued during the previous six years and that they believed in him. The gossips, Lord Westbrook and Lady Fulton, were easy to dislike at the beginning, with their snide comments and innuendo. Each also gained a little sympathy from me as I learned more about them. My favorite, however, was Lady Pariston. She was a feisty old lady with a very kind heart. I loved her support of Clara. She also had a couple of funny scenes with the very young Lord Wortley.