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The Christmas Wager (2010)

by Jamie Fessenden(Favorite Author)

3.68 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

1615817417 (ISBN13: 9781615817412)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Dreamspinner Press

review 1: It's after Labor Day and Christmas will be here before I know it. What a perfect way to get in the mood - reading a Christmas story set in England in....well, the time period isn't explicity stated. They don't have electricity or cars so 19th century. Buckingham Palace is mentioned so not really earlier than maybe mid 1800's? I enjoyed the pacing of the plot and the fact that Thomas didn't immediately decide, hey, I'm gay! Let's roger each other. The ending with the father's revelation felt a little forced but I didn't throw my hands up in disgust, just mumbled to myself and moved on. However, I was tempted to throw my iPad across the room if "the blond" was used to describe Andrew one more time. For some reason that description, used incessantly, drove me crazy. But other... more than a few small things the rest was enjoyable. (The Blond) Ajax
review 2: This is rather a review in two parts as I explain what did work for me and what didn't.I enjoyed the story--despite the things I say later about it--it's has a nice feel to it, and just about every character has something going for it. It has a coherent plot, and the slightly "gay for you" plot is well done, gradually realised and works well in this context.I particularly liked the way the two main characters deal with their emotions for each other; Andrew, although initially a little put off when he finds out about Thomas's true nature and feelings, realises that he still wants him as a friend, and hopes to keep the friendship on that footing. I liked this, it seemed loyal and realistic for a loyal friend to do.I liked the way they kept each other at arm's distance too, it was sweet and although I knew where it was all going, I enjoyed the journey.There are two or three nicely juggled sub-plots too, which work well, even if (this is a Christmas story, after all, so that's forgiveable) it can be a little saccharine when it comes to the child involved. So taken aside the things that knocked this from being a really good read to an annoying one--I did like this book, and would probably recommend it to those who like big country house stories.But.I have to say that a sterner editor would have been a good thing--because the writing smacks a little of fandom. There's far too much use of epiphets "the blond" "the handsome blond" and such like. There are spelling mistakes, grammar errors and mistaken apostrophes liberally spattered throughout.The constant use of "Christmas holidays" was an odd concept too--Andrew ran his own business, and--like Scrooge, most employees only had a day or so off, Christmas Day and perhaps another--and Andrew had no employment, living off his family's allowance, so he wouldn't have this idea in his head. I am reminded of the Dowager Duchess in Downton Abbey - "What is a weekend?"The main trouble is that it's clearly an English historical written by an American. It's obvious that they've done a fair amount of research, but this could easily have been written in a 19th century New York setting and worked much better because the little niggles like the fifth of scotch and gottens would have been more excusable. There are a fair amount of anchacronisms here, too - words like teenagers and sabotage and the mentions of muffins and scones for breakfast--and using balsam as a decoration which isn't found in America and not England.In an American setting, the rather republican aspects of the story which make any class conscious English person blanch, would have made a lot more sense. It's too late to invite the "proper people" to the Christmas Ball, so instead everyone from the village is invited--and this is done without even a murmur of dissent, disapproval, horror or even amusement from the local gentry. "how quaint, look at the poor stuffing the pastries in their pockets" was what I was expecting, but they invite the great unwashed in -- and the great unwashed know exactly how to behave -- without a ripple from anywhere.It's a real shame, because I am sure Dreamspinner have or have access to editors who could have ironed these annoyances out, and if it had only had a couple of glitches I could have forgiven it. It would otherwise have been nudging a four stars, or even a four and a half, because the story is very charming, the characters loveable (although the child is not my cup of tea) but because of the "should have been set in the USA" aspect of it, I can only give it a grudging three. less

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