At Christmastime, a stranger crossing the threshold means good fortune… humble housekeeper. Is Josiah her prince – or the man who will break her heart and leave her life in ruins?
But is the stranger’s arrival lucky for the girl Christmas forgot?
Maggie Carr has worked as a housekeeper at isolated Thorncroft Hall since her beloved mother died five years ago. No matter how often she tells herself she’s accustomed to being poor and alone, Christmas always stirs poignant memories of a time when she had a place in the world and a family to love. But this Christmas, a handsome stranger bursts into her solitary world and makes her feel like a desirable woman. Maggie has already lost so much to cruel fate. Now as the season advances and she finds herself in thrall to the man who challenges her loneliness and turns winter nights to sultry summer, what price will this irresistible passion demand of her?
Will the Yuletide enchantment vanish with the season’s decorations? Or have Maggie and her Christmas stranger discovered a magic to sustain them through a lifetime of happiness?
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I absolutely love Anna Campbell’s Novellas and The Christmas Stranger is no exception!
Josiah (Joss) Hale is a London architect who is asked by his Godfather Dr. Thomas Black to travel to Thorncraft Hall to give his opinion on modernizing the manor. What Joss doesn’t know is that his mother Kitty has written to his Godfather for his assistance in finding Joss a possible bride. Margaret (Maggie) Carr is the current housekeeper at Thorncraft Hall. She took the position 5 years ago when her mother who was Dr. Black’s cousin passed away. Being it’s Christmas, Maggie ends up being at Thorncraft Hall by herself for the holidays. Unfortunately Dr. Black forgets to write to Maggie letting her know that Joss will be arriving and this is when our couple first meet.
Maggie and Joss were such a fun couple. Anna’s couples always have great witty dialogue between them and the undercurrent of attraction makes for a most pleasant read! This one also has a fabulous epilogue! Although the story takes place around Christmas this could be read any time of the year!
Kitty Hall is at her wits end, her son Joss refuses to settle down and ignores all the nice girls she has placed in his path. In desperation, she writes to his godfather, Dr. Thomas Black and asks if he would help her find a bride for Joss. Dr. Black is about to refuse when he remembers that his cousin’s daughter is working as the housekeeper at his estate in the north. When her mother died five years ago, he meant to see her settled and find her a husband, but he never got around to it. Seems like he can kill two birds with one stone. Joss is a gifted architect, so Dr. Black requests that he go to Thorncroft Manor and give him suggestions for updating the house. He means to write to Maggie and let her know and to Kitty to tell her the plan, but he gets sidetracked and forgets.
Maggie Carr is not looking forward to spending Christmas alone, she has been alone too much since her parents died. But alone she will be, because she wouldn’t ask Jane to stay with her and miss time with her family. After Jane leaves, Maggie settles in for the night only to be awoken by a banging at the door.
Joss barely made it to Thorncroft with the blizzard raging, but he is here now and no little slip of a girl is going to keep him out. Maggie is shocked when Joss shows up, she would love nothing better than to kick him out, but if Dr. Black sent him, she doesn’t have the right and the storm is too bad. Shaking with cold as they are standing in the foyer arguing, she refuses to go with him to the kitchen. So Joss picks her up and tosses her over his shoulder and takes her himself.
Joss is a gentle giant, he was raised a gentleman, but his manners are a bit rusty. He knows he should leave, but Maggie sparks something in him he has never felt before. He wants to know more about her.
As they spend time together, they form a friendship and Joss does his best to bring some joy in her life. When an impromptu kiss unleashes the barely passion he feels for her, he knows he must leave. He wants Maggie, but he will not dishonor her, he will return later once Jane has returned and court her properly.
Joss sets out and Maggie is heartbroken, she knows she loves him and wonders if he will return and if he does will the magic between them be the same. She feels even more lonely now that she has ever felt and worries about his safety. Later that night, Joss returns, half frozen. The road was impassable and his horse was lame.
Maggie immediately takes charge and gets him warm and fed. After Joss retires, she goes to his room, determined to make memories with Joss that will sustain her after he is gone.
This was a sweet, slightly steamy little novella. The writing was wonderful and the story was well paced. The story is amusing and heartfelt and it has a wonderfully sweet epilogue.
I happily recommend this novella, it is set at Christmas, but it is not overly “Christmas-y”, it is just a great story about two wonderful people meeting and falling in love around Christmastime.
*I was provided a copy for review by the Author*
A lonely young woman’s luck changes when a man shows up at the door in a blizzard. An architect by trade, Josh came by request of his godfather to suggest improvements on his house in the country. Isolated with only Maggie in residence, an immediate attraction causes problems at first, but not for long. A nice short read of love during the holidays.
What a delightful Christmas story. I received this as a gift from Anna and found it was a prefect quick read for the Christmas season when so much is going on. As usual Ms Campbell has the ability to create a tension that the reader can feel, making the reader feel part of the story and transport you away from all that is going on around you. Although it is only a novella, the story had suspence, and surprise and lots of romance and joy to keep you reading. I found this book hard to put down . Well worth the read.
4,5 stars
In the weeks leading up to Christmas, I love nothing more than indulge myself in Christmas stories. It gives the cold days and nights something magical. And luckily for me, there are several writers who love this season just as much as I do. The writer Anna Campbell is one of the writers who surprises us each year with a Christmas story. I find her Christmas novellas always an enjoyable read. Perfect for a quiet afternoon or evening.
Some people say that no matter where you are when it’s your time to meet your one true love, he will find you no matter where you are. And this story is proof of that.
After losing both her parents at a young age Maggie Carr knows what loneliness feels like and especially during the Christmas time is very difficult for her. And the fact that this year she will spend It alone makes it even harder. The last thing that Maggie expected was to find a stranger knocking on her door in the middle of the night. Especially, a very rude man who tells her that he is send by the owner of Thorncroft Hall. Maggie is very surprised by this news but as a housekeeper of Thorncroft Hall, it’s her duty to take care of him. The fact that they are all alone in an isolated house in the country can be very dangerous for Maggie’s reputation but because of the bad weather, Maggie doesn’t have any other choice then to let him stay.
Maggie really tries to keep her distance from Josiah Hale (the stranger) but he won’t let her. The more time they spend together the more Maggie must admit that she likes his company. Josiah’s manners may be rough but he’s honest and if he wants he can be very charming.
But both also know that the more time they spend alone, the more dangerous it becomes to cross the line between good and bad. Very soon they will have to decide, will they follow their hearts or will they follow the rules of society?
Christmas is a time of magic and that’s what you want to read in your books (or at least I do). And this story has everything I like in my Christmas stories. It’s a novella so you know that everything will go a little bit quicker than usual. The story is told from both POV’s. I really liked both characters. Josiah was this rough guy with a soft heart. He brought smiles and Christmas spirit to the lonely Maggie and Maggie really tried to resist both Josiah and Christmas but sometimes you just don’t have any choice. I really liked the fact that the writer have us an epilogue too, that made the story complete to me.
I really enjoyed this story.