Denied the woman of his dreams by his father’s meddling, Calder Stafford, has spent the last decade proving himself to be self-sufficient, austere, and utterly uninterested in joy. Now that he is the Duke of Hartwell, he’ll enact his revenge by abolishing the holiday traditions his father loved so well. His sisters will not sway him and neither will the woman–newly returned to town–who was … stolen from him.
Returning to Hartwell to care for her mother, widow Felicity Garland is delighted to be back home, especially for the holidays. However, the jolly festivities she expects are nowhere to be found. When she goes to the source of the problem–the duke–she’s astonished to see how much the young man she once loved has hardened. It’s up to her to break through the impenetrable fortress around his heart–not just to save Christmas, but to save him.
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Series: Love is All Around #3
Publication Date: 11/12/19
Number of Pages: Novella
Earlier this year, 2019, Darcy Burke realized that she didn’t have any Christmas books to her credit – and she promptly set about righting that grievous error. The wonderful result is the Love Is All Around trilogy. Each book is based somewhat on old Christmas tales. The first book, The Red Hot Earl, is loosely based on Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the second book, The Gift of the Marquess, is loosely based on The Gift of the Magi, and this, the third book is based on A Christmas Carol. They are a lovely, lovely set of books – and while each can be read as a stand-alone, I highly recommend reading all three.
The series features the three Stafford siblings – Bianca, Poppy, and Calder – with an overarching theme of the St. Stephens Day celebration and support for Hartwell House which is a home for impoverished women and children. In Bianca and Poppy’s books, while they are finding their HEA’s, they are also wrangling with their brother about his canceling the St. Stephens Day celebration and discontinuing the dukedoms support of Hartwell House.
If you read the other books, you totally understand that Calder IS Ebenezer Scrooge. He’s cold, unfeeling, joyless, distrustful, miserly – you name it. As I was reading those earlier books, I had to wonder how this author could possibly redeem and reform Calder. It seemed to me there was little hope for such a man as he. Never fear – his story was wonderfully written and his redemption was heartwarming. As we learned more about his childhood and what his father did to him as a young man, it is easy to see how he became the cold, unfeeling man he was – much like Ebenezer Scrooge. As I read the last words, I let out a big sigh and smiled because Calder’s HEA was beautiful and so well deserved. It is hours later, and I still smile when I think of him.
Calder’s sisters have just told him that Felicity Templeton Garland is back in Hartwell. He can hardly believe it – what is she doing back here. She’s the cold-hearted woman who took his father’s money and then went away and left Calder with a broken heart. He has to see for himself and sets out for town where, sure enough, he sees her. He can’t take his eyes off her. He devours her with his eyes.
After Calder’s cruel rejection of her, Felicity and her family moved away from Hartwell and she did eventually marry. While she cared for her husband, she was never in love with him. Now she’s a widow and has come to Hartwell to care for her ill mother. She’s only there temporarily, but it is good to spend Christmas there and she’s looking forward to the St. Stephen’s Day festival. Well, she’s looking forward to it until she learns that the cold-hearted duke isn’t sponsoring it anymore.
Felicity can’t reconcile the warm, sweet, happy young man with whom she’d fallen in love and the cold, selfish, joyless, miserly man he appears to be today. The man she loved (loves) has to be in there somewhere and for his sake, she’s determined to find him.
It was a joy to see Calder realize that his father was still controlling him – even from the grave. It doesn’t take long for him to know that he still loves Felicity – what takes a while is for him to learn that he deserves to be loved.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Oh my, what an ending…sniff, sniff! Such an absolutely delightful story in a Scrooge sort of way:) I was wondering how Darcy Burke was going to be able to redeem Calder but I should have known she’d do it in an excellent way. I loved the first two books in this series and loved this one just as much.
The story explains why Calder has become such a miserable Scrooge-like miser and when Felicity comes back to town after 10 years, it’s up to her to “find” the Calder she had fallen in love with all those years ago. Lies and misunderstandings are uncovered and love is given a second chance, if only she can convince him he need never be alone.
I must mention one scene that I just adored…when Calder meets little Alice, omigosh, what a character she is! lol Also loved Isis, Calder’s dog. It’s all these little additions that make this story such a delight to read.
I was given an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Neglected and mistreated by father, check. Rejected by the woman he loved, check. Mean as a snake, cold as ice, and determined to end the expense along with the joy and fun of Christmas, check. A Christmas Carol is my favorite Christmas story and movie. Calder Stafford is one of the best Scroogie characters I have read in quite a while. Ebenezer would be proud.
His sisters try to understand him and want him to be happy, but Calder won’t let them close. He has nightmares about his past and the woman his father caused him to lose. When his old love returns to town, Felicity Garland becomes all of the ghosts of Christmas in his world. As they talk and the truth come to light, things begin to change. Can Calder and Felicity get beyond the betrayal of the past? Will Calder finally find the happiness denied him, or is it too late? Are we headed toward a happily ever after or a great big Bah Humbug?
Joy to the Duke is a story of forgiveness and reunion. The last story in the series ties everything together in an epilogue that show quite clearly that Love is All Around.
I received an ARC from NetGalley. My review is voluntary.
Calder Stafford, the Duke of Hartwood is a heartless miser who since inheriting his father’s title, has hoarded his wealth, refused to support a home for unfortunate women and children, has turned his back on his sisters and refused to give his youngest sister Bianca the portion her father set aside for her because he doesn’t approve of her husband, in fact, he refused to attend her wedding. His sisters have tried reasoning with him, but he is cold and unresponsive – nothing seems to trigger emotion in him at all – that is until Felicity Garland nee Templeton returns to the village after a ten year absence.
Felicity never thought to return to Hartwell and she certainly never expected to see Calder the man how cruelly broke her heart again. But see him she does and she is shocked to learn that the sweet, loving young man she knew is gone and a joyless, miserly cad has taken his place, she is even more upset to learn that he thinks SHE broke his heart. It doesn’t take long for them to figure out that his father manipulated them both. She also learns that her father played a part in her heartbreak and she sets out to prove to Calder that her love was and still is true.
Calder accepts that his father was the driving force in their breakup, but he refuses to try to recapture what they once had, he feels that too much time has passed and he is no longer the man she remembers. But he can’t seem to stop wondering about her and she won’t quietly walk away.
Slowly Felicity begins to crack through the ice encasing Calder’s heart and he is changing for the better, so much so that she has high hopes that they can have a future together, but Calder’s hurts run deep and his stubborn refusal to let her love him may cost him everything…
This was a well written, sweet second chance story with hero that has been portrayed as a “villain” in the previous books and who was pretty difficult to like for a very large portion of this story as well, but the book’s saving grace is definitely Felicity, who sees the truth and refuses to lose her love a second time. I thought the story was paced nicely, had just the right amount of passion, heartache and joy to produce a very nice “make you feel good” Christmas novella. This was the third book in the series, but it can easily be read as a standalone without any problems.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the Publisher.*
Awesome read! I loved this series and I’m sad to see it end! Hero is a man who is a Duke and is cold and unfeeling with everything. The Heroine is a lady from his past who he loved and lost. She is deemed the only one who could save him by his sisters. I love how this story ended.
Calder Stafford, has spent the last decade proving himself to be self-sufficient, austere, and utterly uninterested in joy. Now that he is the Duke of Hartwell, he’ll enact his revenge on his father by abolishing the holiday traditions he loved so well. Returning to Hartwell to care for her mother, widow Felicity Garland is delighted to be back home, especially for the holidays. However, the jolly festivities she expects are nowhere to be found. When she goes to the source of the problem—the duke—she’s astonished to see how much the young man she once loved has hardened.
A lovely, lovely story, which is loosely based on A Christmas Carol. Calder aka Chill has been a misery guts in the two previous books & we now find out why, I loved how he thawed & came to embrace life again & all due to Felicity who was like a terrier with a bone. A very well written book that whilst it could be read on its own I’d recommend reading this wonderful trilogy in order. The characters have depth & are very likeable even Calder. Calder & Felicity were in love a decade ago but she moved away, now a decade later they both find out that they were manipulated but they also find that their love has endured. However Calder has buried his feelings very deeply & I loved how Felicity persevered to unleash those feelings. I read the book in a sitting & loved it.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
“Joy to the Duke” by Darcy Burke
Loved this story… It turned me into a watering-pot. I was gifted an ARC of this story by the author with the request for an honest review. So, read the book description, and if it catches your eye, I think you will enjoy your time within its pages. It is the 3rd book in the series “Love Is All Around”. It can be read as a stand-alone, but I do recommend reading the series in order written. If only to gain the pleasure of and to know the sisters’ stories too. Happy Reading ! !
Since his father’s interference ruined his chance to marry the woman he loved, Calder Stafford has spent a decade proving himself to be aloof, uninterested in happiness, and certainly not in need of anyone’s help. Now the Duke of Hartwell, he’s determined to have his revenge by doing away with anything his father loved, especially the village’s annual Christmas celebrations. No one will change his mind, not his sisters, and certainly not the newly returned woman who stole his heart.
Now widowed, Felicity Garland has returned to Hartwell to care for her sick mother. She’s shocked not to find the holiday celebrations she was expecting and whens he learns the duke is the reason, she’s even more surprised to see how much the man she used to love has changed. Now both the town festivities, and Calder himself, need Felicity to save them.
I really loved this book. It may be quick but it was heavy on the emotions and so sweet. I’m typically not a huge fan of the second chance trope but this one really worked well. It was nice to see Calder get some much-needed redemption after he was so awful in the first two books of this series and to get insight into why he was the way he was. This was the perfect addition to this sweet series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I have been waiting to read Calder story from reading the first book in this series, Red Hot Earl, and I will tell you I am not disappointed. I really loved this book. Calder has melted my heart like no other hero in a long time has. This is the 3rd book in the series, Love Is All Around, it can be read alone but let me tell you if you can read all three books it will make you appreciate this one even more. Darcy Burke has written such a nice romance for all three siblings, they are each so different, but all so good. I read this book right before bed and it made me happy, now I woke up and I am still happy.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Joy to the Duke
Love is All Around Series #3
Darcy Burke
https://www.facebook.com/DarcyBurkeFans/
Release date 11/12/2019
Publisher Darcy Burke Publishing
Blurb :
Denied the woman of his dreams by his father’s meddling, Calder Stafford, has spent the last decade proving himself to be self-sufficient, austere, and utterly uninterested in joy. Now that he is the Duke of Hartwell, he’ll enact his revenge by abolishing the holiday traditions his father loved so well. His sisters will not sway him and neither will the woman—newly returned to town—who was stolen from him.
Returning to Hartwell to care for her mother, widow Felicity Garland is delighted to be back home, especially for the holidays. However, the jolly festivities she expects are nowhere to be found. When she goes to the source of the problem—the duke—she’s astonished to see how much the young man she once loved has hardened. It’s up to her to break through the impenetrable fortress around his heart—not just to save Christmas, but to save him.
My review:
Because of a love turned to ash, a man has hardened his heart to never let again an emotion go through it.
Here is a rewriting of the A Christmas Carol with the duke as Scrooge.
It is a second chance romance about two lovers who were robbed their chance of a happy ending by a man who hide behind a cheerful facade a cold heart.
Calder, the duke, went through so much pain, it is perfectly understandable he infused his heart with steel to avoided more heartbreak. But behind his so cold and aloof appearance, the organ is still beating and longs for affection.
The unexpected return of his only love will reveal the worst of the betrayal and see him reconsider his own actions.
Felicity left when her first love turned her down. She just came back to the place of her childhood to care for her mother and maybe clear her souls from the past hurt. Yet it is impossible to reconcile the image of young Calder with the ruthless man he has become. Why she made it her mission to try to help him regain his joy for life.
I loved how Mrs Darcy Burke used a plot twist to introduce the past, present and future Christmases. This was a joyful read showing the redeeming force of love.
4.5 stars.
I am just wondering how the old duke could have been harboring two personalities so antagonistic.
I was granted an advance copy by the author, I also preordered my own.
Here is my true and unbiased opinion.
https://www.facebook.com/429830134272830/posts/497905187465324?d=n&sfns=mo
Bah Humbug…not really. This is a story of what if’s and what can be’s. I loved the Christmas Carol vibe. Calder is a grouchy young man who does not feel like he can be a part of the world (at least not happily) but Felicity has other ideas in mind. Her love for Calder and that she never gives up on him is beautiful poetry. This story was so lovely and has such great meaning during the Christmas season (especially the scenes at the Hartwell House). A great ending to a fantastic series.
I received a complimentary copy from the author.
Joy To The Duke is a fabulous historical holiday romance by Darcy Burke. This is a fairly quick read, perfect for those with limited reading time. Ms. Burke has provided readers with a well-written book populated with a spectacular cast of characters. Felicity brought her mother home to Hartwood after an illness. Calder, Duke of Hartwell, loved Felicity once. Calder and Felicity’s story is loaded with drama, humor and spice. I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to my next book by Darcy Burke. Joy To The Duke is book 3 of the Love is All Around Series but can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from Bookfunnel. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
WOW, what a ending to a great series, I loved the first books, ” The Red Hot Earl” (my favorite ) “The Gift of the Marquess”[ was wonderful too.] I had a hard time wondering what Darcy would come up with for Bianca and Poppy’s scrooge like brother, Calder or Chill. After he had caused so much pain and sadness in the first two stories. After reading all the books I have by Darcy I should have know it would be the best yet.
Calder Stafford , called Chill by some, now the Duke of Hartwell is an nasty, cold, unfeeling man.
His sisters can not figure out what happen to the brother they knew when he was young. As the Christmas
season is upon them Calder is determined to stop any Holiday events his father loved. He has spent the last 10 years doing everything his father thought he couldn’t. His father never approved of him, was wicked mean to him . After he loses the only woman he every loved he lost all joy in life and vowed to never let
anyone close to him again. Not even his sisters.
Felicity Garland has come home after 10 years to care for her sick mother. She has missed the home and village of her youth and looks forward the the Christmas season she remembers.
Only to find out most of the activities have been cancelled or moved away. She is shocked to find that
the one man she has always loved even when he left her is the cause.
When she meets him for the first time she can not believe the cold, distance, rude person he is now.
As Felicity, and Calder uncover the lies, both their father’s told, the misunderstanding between them,
Felicity is determined to save Calder from himself.
With the help of his sister’s and their husband,the unstoppable butler Truro the cutest little girl, Alice and a loyal dog, Isis she sets out to show him what he is missing. Calder is so lost, due to his father’s treatment he is not easy to deal with. There is so much to this story, don’t miss it, love lost and find, mysteries solved , family secrets told with lots of Christmas magic.
I received and ARC from the author, and wish to thank her. I am giving my honest review voluntary.
Calder Stafford, the Duke of Hartwell, pushes everyone away to the point that he is left alone, exactly what he wants, or is it? Calder suffered greatly at the hands of his cruel father, including losing the girl he loved when he was 20. Now he tries to do everything the opposite of what his father did, including withholding funds from the celebrations and charities his father loved. Felicity Garland fell in love with Calder at 18, but when he rejects her for her low birth, she’s devastated and marries an older man. Now widowed, Felicity returns to the her hometown village after 10 years away to nurse her mother back to health. When she runs into Calder, she’s astonished at how cold he’s become. Can she melts Calder’s heart and find the joyful young man she fell in love with?
Ms. Burke has written another entertaining tale, loosely based on ‘Christmas Carol.’ Calder is a scrooge when the book opens up, but when he runs into Felicity, the feelings he’s long since buried surface again. I liked seeing Calder’s sisters appear in this book as well as they try to reach Calder as well. While the ending is entirely predictable, it was a pleasure to read to the happily ever after ending for everyone.
I voluntarily read an advanced read copy and all opinions are my own.
What a wonderful rendition of Dicken’s A Christmas Carol. Being the third in the series, Love is All Around, one might expect it to be a bit of a letdown, not as good as the others. The reader would be so very wrong. I do believe Darcy Burke kept the best for last. The series featured siblings, the Duke of Hartwood and his sisters, each book is loosely based on a Christmas story. This tale, although told with a little different perspective from Mr. Scrooge’s causes the reader to wonder how did they become cold, miserable people. Calder’s saga answers those questions. Between his father’s machinations and the belief the love of his life sold out for money, Calder became that Scroogelike character. Enter Felicity back into his life after ten years. However, he is not willing to change just because he now knows the truth of why she left. He did not count on Felicity’s tenacious. She was like a dog with a bone, not willing to let go of the person she knew ten years ago. How does she get him to respond? Can be and his sister’s be a family once again? Most of all, is the love Calder and Felicity once shared still there? Finding the answers to these questions makes for a delightful read. I received this eBook from the author for an honest review.
What a sweet twist on “A Christmas Carol”. Even though Calder is snarly I really like him. You can see his broken heart sitting high on his shoulder and can’t help but feel for him. Felicity is strong, loving and determined to understand Calder’s pain. I really enjoyed how their journey back to each other was woven into a “Christmas Carol” type scenario. I found this book an interesting read I couldn’t put down.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Many thanks to the author for this opportunity.
Joy To The Duke, by Darcy Burke, became available at booksellers in November of 2019. Joy is the third and last book in the Love Is All Around series. Three members of one family and how they got to their HEA’s. I’ve enjoyed the entire series but Joy may be my favorite. The way Ms Burke has woven A Christmas Carol into our heros story worked very, very, well.
Calder Stafford, the Duke of Hartwell, is a mean, miserly man. Heart of ice, doesn’t care about anything or anyone, except his dog. He’s become awful after his Father ran off his first, and only love. Dad was a piece of work, a bad piece. Calder has acted ugly to his sisters & later makes amends, thank goodness. His scrooge moments are great.
Felicity Templeton Garland is the one that got away. A decade ago she got a curt, nasty letter from Calder, but really his dad. Her family left town, dad paid off her dad to go. It’s all a mess, but they never stopped loving each other. She’s one determined lady. I’m glad that all worked out well for everyone.
#DarcyBurke #JoyToTheDuke #Netgalley #LoveIsAllAround
This was a lovely way to finish off the story of three siblings. It was a story full of sadness, hope and love. You felt for the characters as the truth from the past comes to light and they struggle to find their happy ending. There was some sex in this book and as usual, this reviewer skipped it and it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book. It was a lovely read. I received this as an Arc and was happy to do my review.
Just the absolute best story. Everything I like to read about and more. Such a great story I will read again and again. A keeper!!
Have you ever wondered if a Scrooge-type character could be redeemed? The answer is yes and Darcy Burke has been the one to do it!
For the third installment of the Love is All Around series, Burke focuses on the Duke of Hartwell, Calder Stafford. He is the older brother of the ladies featured in the first two books of the series, Bianca and Poppy. When Calder’s father told him the woman he loved took a bribe to leave town and stay away, he was completely devastated. He almost lost himself in the vices of women, gambling, and alcohol. When his father cut him off, Calder turned his finances around but hardened his heart to love.
Widow Felicity Garland has returned to Hartwell after ten long years. Her family suddenly left town back then and she hadn’t returned since. After her father’s death, her mother moved back. When her mother becomes ill, Felicity comes home to care for her. When she and Calder meet face to face after all those years, things do not go smoothly. Calder is cold and seemingly heartless. Felicity is shocked to hear some of the things he has and hasn’t done since becoming the duke. She takes charge of her life and love when she makes it her mission to find the Calder she loves.
From the onset, Burke makes us aware of the pain Calder has suffered at the hands of his father. It’s not until later on in the story that we find out how cruel the old duke really was. Once Felicity barges into his life again, he has no idea how to handle his emotions. His determination to keep the love and anguish at bay slowly begins to crumble as he gets a taste of what could be. With some helpful words from Bianca and Poppy, a forever friend of a dog, Isis, and the duke’s faithful staff, Felicity finds the man she’s dreamed of since she was eighteen.
Joy to the Duke is an amazing story of love and redemption. It is the perfect way to bring this holiday series to a close with a happily after for all the Stafford siblings. Another plus is that this is a well-rounded story that can be read in just a few short hours. Spend an afternoon curled up with this fabulous read from Darcy Burke.
I received Joy to the Duke for free. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.