Goodwill for the Gentleman

GOODREADS
RANDOM RETRO READ

KEYES, MARTHA

GOODWILL FOR THE GENTLEMAN

He jilted her sister. She will never forgive him for it. What kind of sparks will fly when they find themselves snowed in together at Christmas?

Emma Caldwell doesn't hate anyone -- except for Hugh Warrilow, the man who jilted her older sister and left like a coward to join the army. Men are clearly not to be trusted, and Emma is determined not to give her heart to one. No, a marriage of convenience is the very thing to suit her.

Hugh Warrilow has been secretly in love with Emma Caldwell for years, so when the time comes to live up to both families' expectations and marry her sister, he can't find it in himself to do it. Disgraced and misunderstood, he joins to fight Napoleon on the Continent, hoping he will forget Emma and be forgotten by everyone he has disappointed.

An injury brings Hugh home -- just in time for Christmas and the snowstorm that leaves him trapped under the same roof as Emma. How will he explain that his unforgivable act was motivated by how desperately he loved her? Her icy reception doesn't leave him the chance, nor does it offer much hope for the season's expectation of peace on earth and goodwill to men.

My Review:

published in 2019

Ah, the enemies to lovers trope, what could be more Christmas-y?! Bwahahaha! 

On the surface, it seems such an outlandish reason to be at odds - a couple who had family expectations to marry broke off the...well, it wasn't even an engagement...the equivalent of a bad break up today, maybe. Nothing for a sister to hold a life long grudge over. But, back in the day things were very different. Reputations could be ruined. Family names slandered. Oy, as much as I like to romanticize the Regency era there are aspects of class and culture that irk me greatly. Like a perfectly swoony gentleman being ostracized for 'jilting' the young lady everyone else expected him to marry. So, that all happened five years ago...

And, everyone has mostly moved on. The jilted lady is over her heartbreak and has found new love. Her sister, however, is guarding her intense grudge and vows to never forgive or forget what that blackguard Hugh did to her sweet sister...

Until the unexpected happens. Snowed in at Christmas! Eeeep!!! I do so love a good stranded scenario in a romance, and oh, my do sparks fly in this one. All on Emma's side though. Hugh is the epitome of a wronged hero who makes a noble effort to make amends. Only Emma's having none of it and it looks like it's going to be a very uncomfortable holiday at the Warrilow estate until they form an uneasy truce for the duration of the storm. :-)

I loved Hugh right from the start but it took longer to warm up to Emma. On the one hand, I admired her intense loyalty to her sister BUT she carried it too far and for much too long. I enjoyed watching her attitude slowly thaw allowing her to  see Hugh in a new light. She starts to question the integrity of her unforgiving nature and that leads to...well, you'll have to read this festive novella to find out.

I appreciated all the yuletide details and the lighter, playful moments that brighten the darker aspects of the story. Keyes packed a lot in this little novella and it made for a riveting read.

Well, listen, actually, because I enjoyed Marianne Robinson's narration of this second book in the multi-authored Belles of Christmas series.

Goal Update: #1 Read more indie authors, #4 Read more new-to-me authors, #7 Start new-to-me series

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy -- winner's choice.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  Goodwill for the Gentleman, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday December 3 2022 . Offer open to International Readers.