Fashionable London holds nothing for wealthy merchant’s niece, Lalamani Finchurch. Except perhaps for an earl with a twisted hand and a charming smile. Why, for all the fortune hunters she has fended off since returning from India, is the one man who seems to like her so against marrying for money?Philip has inherited an earldom that his only two choices are to marry for money or to abandon … abandon Society altogether and return to his work as an engineer. Which is no choice at all, until a tiny woman with beautiful eyes and a fine mind dances with him on his last night in London.
When they meet again in a small country village, they join forces to uncover larceny and deceit, to rescue Lalamani’s aunt from poverty, and to discover that pride is a poor reason to refuse a love for a lifetime.
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Delightful story. I generally enjoy a few Christmas reads in December. This one is the best I’ve read in a number of years. While it was not unexpected, I was glad when Phillip and Lalamani found their happy ever after. It was a quick read, so I could have enjoyed more beyond the brief courtship covered by the story–perhaps an epilogue a few Christmases into the future?
I loved this book. It’s a quick read so perfect for reading over a cuppa. The story is lovely, and the characters have depth to them with believable dialogue. A wonderful short story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Jude Knight brings us a lovely story of an impoverished Earl and a wealthy commoner of Indian descent. Though it’s A short story, the characters are wonderfully developed and delightful engaging. The secondary characters such as aunt Hannah are just as delightful. I loved the story as I have loved everything Jude Knight has written. She’s one of my favorite new authors. This is a must read story any time of year. Thank you so much dShe’s one of my favorite new authors. This is a must read story any time of year. Thank you so much Jude For such an engaging and heartwarming story of love.
Lord Calne’s Christmas Ruby” by Jude Knight is a tale of one unimpressed Margaret Lalamani Finchurch…who tired of London’s dubious “charms”…EXCEPT for one particular Earl….Lord Philip Daventry…who for his part wants less to do with the edits of London’s Ton than she….if not for the need of funds for his estate…he’d retreat from society altogether and ply his trade as an engineer…a more noble endeavor by far. However entranced their meeting in the social whir was….the two quit London…only to meet again in a more pastoral setting…where Lalamani’s Aunt Hannah’s brush with larcenous treachery… requires their combined efforts …to curtail. Will pride prevent a HEA for the couple …OR will Love claim a victory…sooo long overdue?!? Read & see!!
Much enjoyed and Highly Recommended. I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Copy of this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Weak Characterization; Told, Not Shown
I have read a number of novels by Jude Knight as she writes about historical periods that are my preference, like Regency. Unfortunately, I find her books to be of variable quality for a number of reasons. This book is a relatively short and quick-paced novella, but unfortunately, I feel like there was too much story that needed to be told–such that it didn’t fit within the novella-length structure. Both plot and characterization suffered because of this.
The hero and the heroine meet in London but don’t further the acquaintance. For one thing, they are both intending to go to the country and don’t expect to see each other again. She is also an heiress who does not want to be bartered to any man and certainly not her a spineless cousin, who is the son of the aunt she happens to live with, as her London aunt wants her to do. The hero himself is a wounded hero, and his hand and forearm are actually injured so that his muscles are withered and his hand contractured. He might wish to wed, but he doesn’t want to see either pity or abhorrence in his future wife’s gaze.
They just happen to meet again in the country because his estate is near where her other aunt lives. I won’t go on too much further about what happens with the plot in the story. It definitely seemed improbable, though that they would happen to just meet again in this small town. I do sometimes have a hard time suspending my belief in stories like this. The hero is a new earl, but he hides this from the people here, just acting as if he were the earl’s engineer and man of business. This, of course, leads him to find out far more than he would have if he had just entered the little sleepy village as the lord of the area.
This book is a very short read, and this caused the author to take what I would consider to be shortcuts. The villain in this book was very black and white with few shadings of grey. I think a villain needs to have that to make the book more interesting. Even the hero and heroine themselves seemed like stock characters to a certain degree, not fully fleshed-out as a unique member of a very typical set of characters we see in historical romance fiction. The other shortcut that the author took is that she often told rather than showed what happened in the story. For instance, there was one pivotal dinner scene that we were only *told* about, not even given a shred of dialogue. We are just told simply told what happened as it unfolded. Boring! The author really should have fleshed out these scenes as well as the characters. There was enough here to make this into a proper novel. The book had potential, but it just wasn’t realized in the execution.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
This is a delightful story that is sure to warm your heart. The story is about Lalamani and Philip, two very kind but proud people. Through the course of the story they learn to overcome pride and allow love to prevail. The storyline is engaging and well paced. The author did such an excellent job with descriptions that I could clearly picture everything in my mind which enabled me to enjoy the story to the fullest. This story touches the heart and makes one believe in true and lasting love. This is the first book by Jude Knight that I have read and I am definitely looking forward to reading many more.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a clean holiday romance and a quick read. The plot is predictable and has been used so many times but I liked it.
Philip and Lalamani meet at a ball that neither one is enjoying until they get an opportunity to talk with one another. Finding that they are kindred spirits makes the evening go by faster. Lalamani decides to go visiting her Aunt Hannah, only to meet up with Philip again, something that brings them both great joy. Through a series of circumstances, the two grow closer and only pride keeps them from declaring their true feelings for one another. Delightful story
I’ve read several books written by Jude Knight; she has done a great job at writing a good book; she is becoming one of my favorite authors. I can’t wait to read more of books her books.
The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.
I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.
The price of rubies, or in this case, diamonds.
Philip Daventry is an earl with a disfigured hand and a poor estate. But he’s also an engineer. He doesn’t want to marry a simpering debutante.
Miss Finchurch is an orphan whose wealth comes from diamonds. She was raised in India and is now living with her aunt in England. She can hold her own against the mean girls of the ton.
This was a charming and enjoyable read.
I enjoyed both leads.
Recommend.
A short well written Christmas story. This is Margaret Lalamani Finchurch and Lord Phillip Daventry of Calne’s story there is two villains, drama, suspense, a great surprise, and romance. I enjoyed reading this story. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Impoverished new Earl of Calne Phillip doesn’t want to marry for money and Lalamani doesn’t want to be married for her dowry. He discovers that something is not right with the estate he inherited and she questions the lack of funds her Aunt Hannah was supposed to receive. They spend time together unraveling these mysteries and discover that their pride could keep them from accepting their feelings for each other. Her other Aunt Cecilia was a villain trying to get Lalamani to marry her underage son to get her dowry. I loved her generous selfless Aunt Hannah. This was a clean Regency romance.
Philip Daventry, Lord Calne, had no idea he would inherit an almost bankrupt earldom. Margaret Lalamani Finchurch, with an inheritance promised through her family’s wealth as gem merchants in India – although no title came with it — wanted only to reach her 25th birthday so that she could stop having to spend time with the fickle men who only wanted her inheritance and nothing more. Her inheritance would be hers alone at age 25. As Fate would have it, Philip and Lalamani meet in London and feelings begin to develop between them.
And as soon as money is involved, others around Lalamani plot and hope to redirect her inheritance to their own coffers. But Philip and she realize that he is not looking for a rich heiress to resolve his money issues nor is she looking for someone only interested in her wealth.
When they meet again in a small country village near one of Philip’s estates where Lalamani’s Aunt Hannah lives, they must work together to uncover larceny and deceit, to rescue Aunt Hannah from poverty, and to find the truth behind all of this manipulation.
The plot moves along well in this story, and the main characters are different in a good way from the usual ones we meet in these stories. Grab your copy and see if the two of them can find reparation for the damage done to Philip and Aunt Hannah and whether Lalamani and Philip will find their happiness together.
Pride But Not Prejudice
ADULT Regency Era Romance and Mystery
Phillip, the new Earl of Calne, never expected to be an Earl. He is an engineer by trade and was injured in the war, with an explosion damaging his lower left arm and hand. Several unexpected deaths of family members from illness and accidents elevate him to the Earldom! He’s an Earl with no money.
He tries to find a wife, but the ton debutants want nothing to do with him, all except one young woman. Her name is Lalamani, back from India, and she is unlike any woman he has ever met. She is not a peer, but her parents were wealthy business owners.
He meets her again when he travels to the small village to inspect his new estate. New to him, but the house and stables are falling down, uninhabitable! Lalamani is living with her Aunt in the estate’s dower house, it too is almost ready to fall down and badly in need of repairs.
Lalamani and Phillip find they are deeply attracted to each other.
ARC Provided by Booksprout
I also got this ebook for $.99 on Amazon.
This is a very sweet but ADULT novella about pride.
This was an enchanting romance. Loved the characters, especially Aunt Hannah. She was such an old dear. The main couple, Phillip & Lalamani, couldn’t have been better suited. Neither care much about money and material wealth but do care for their friends, family and neighbors. A lovely, heartwarming story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Spend a pleasant, family-friendly afternoon in Regency England with an orphan returned from India and an engineer who has unexpectedly become an earl.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a wonderful story that will warm your heart. Written in a way that only Jude Knight can, the tale is about two individuals, Lalamani and Philip, who are kind, prideful and deserve happiness. I was endeared to both of them from the very first pages. Aunt Hannah was pretty special, too.
The book includes rich descriptions of scenes, characters and settings. As I was reading, I had a clear image of all in my mind. I enjoyed the pace of the story filled with mystery, family, friendship, romance and a charming Christmas. It is a cozy and wonderful read.
One of the things Jude Knight does very well is to develop characters a reader would want to have as friends. Lalamani Finchurch and Philip Daventry are definitely in that category. It is at a ball that Philip first meets Lalamani. He is in demand because he is an Earl. However, though the young ladies wish to be a countess, they can’t get past his hand crippled in service to his country. While hunting for his uncle, Philip overhears some vindictive women insulting Lalamani because her fortune is from trade. Of course, he saves her from their ridicule by dancing with her. Although they hit it off, neither are interested in a serious relationship. The former earls have rendered the earldom penniless, Philip refuses to marry only for money. Lalamani’s guardian wants their son to marry her and her money. She runs to an aunt. Coincidentally, Philip is in the same town to assess repairs on his estate house. Will they finally accept their attraction to each other? Who has been stealing not just from Lalamani’s aunt but also Philip? Can they work together to catch the culprit? I love that Philip’s uncle is none other than Brigadier General Lord Henry Redepenning, a character who has a part in many of Jude Knight’s books. This is a very nice read, indeed! I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was a quick, clean and sweet read.
Philip has unexpectedly inherited and earldom, one he is ill-equipped to deal with or afford. The earldom is in debt and the only way to save it is to marry an heiress, but due to a war injury that left his hand twisted and deformed the eligible ladies of the ton avoid him. Then he meets Lalamani. Lalamani doesn’t look upon him with disdain over his injury, she is sweet and charming. But she has no use for a title and Philip is loath to court her for her money. But he can’t stop thinking about her.
When they meet up again when Lalamani goes to visit her aunt Philip is yet again drawn to her. When they discover that her aunt and his earldom are victims of someone stealing monies, they devise a plot to unmask the person responsible. But will the recovery of the earldom’s stolen funds be enough for Philip to save it and still claim Lalamani as his own?
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Nicely written short story set mostly in the country.