review 1: This is the first book I’ve read by author Amber Lin. I was first drawn into the story by the beautiful beginning to the 1st chapter, and happy to find each chapter began with a little snippet even better than the chapter before. Very beautifully written pieces. As I read, it was easy to detect what each of those snippets were, and that made me enjoy them more. Ms. Lin has a beautiful way of writing. She draws you into the scene with all five senses. Her descriptions are so well written, and her love scenes are sweet and erotic at the same time.I really liked Sidony. She had a teasing quality to the way she handled Hale, even though she was angry over the fact that he’d stayed away longer than promised, and that he didn’t write as he’d promised. And Hale, let’s j... moreust say he is one of the sweetest, sexiest heroes. His depth of feeling for Sidony was well done. The love that this pair felt for each other was so strong, and you could feel it in every scene they shared. I’ve always been a sucker for a good reunion type story and I wasn’t disappointed.And even though this story has Christmas in the title, it’s one of those sweet stories that can be read any time of the year. I really enjoyed the Christmas songs littered throughout the story as well—I wanted to break out the Christmas music and join the festivities. This novella was packed with everything needed to help you connect with the characters, get to know them and their reasons for traveling the paths they did, and to root for them to work things out. I enjoyed this quick read—it was the perfect way to wind down after a busy day. review 2: The young and beautiful Sidony Harbeck has waited three long years for her betrothed to return from sea. In that three year period he neglected to write he even a single letter and her patients has worn out. When her wayward other, Hale Martin, suddenly appears on her doorstep she is determined to show her hurt and anger for being neglected for so long. Hale, unaware of any wrongdoing, demands that they marry before Christmas. This festive holiday is just a few weeks away so she flatly refuses. He then puts his proposal in the form of a wager (not a particularly tactful or romantic thing to do). Marry me before Christmas or you will never see or hear from me again. This sinks Sidony into a quagmire of emotion. This ultimatum scared her. What would he do? Would he ravish her, leaving her with no choice but bow to his command? What if he really left forever, leaving her in regret for the rest of her life? Before they were lovers, they’d been friends and now they are nothing. Three Christmases of silence. Absence may not always make the heart grow fonder; it just might turn warm feelings into cold nothingness. The reader is sent on an emotional trip in the English countryside during the Napoleonic era. This book isn’t really written for history buffs but more geared to the tastes of young girls dreaming of a romantic interlude. less
