Review: 5/5
“I’m suggesting that you let someone inside that empty room you call a heart. Whether you make her your wife or your mistress, a man’s bed is decidedly warmer if there’s a fire burning in something other than his cock.”
Just in time for the title...
I really loved the Hellions of Halstead Hall Series by Sabrina Jeffries, and for those who haven't read it yet, no worries. 'Twas the Night After Christmas works well as stand alone. But of course, reading the whole series can be worthwhile.
Why do I love this book?
1. Pierce. I wanted to give him a soft, tight hug. He deserves one or a hundred more after what he had been through as a little boy.
The little boy who felt no body wanted him at all. His asthma made him a little weak and his father hated weak. Saying that he has a poor relationship with his father would be an understatement. But his mother, at first I didn't know what went wrong with the relationship because I can feel that his mother loved him to a fault. She was the buffer that he needed with all the shenanigans that his father threw him at an early age. The moment he was sent off to school, he never saw his parents again. He was forced to spend his vacation with the cousins he barely knew. And when he reached his age of majority- he went back to his parents and finally confront them, only to be sent away.
I couldn't blame him if he hated both his mother and father. I couldn't blame him if he wanted the truth out- something his mother wanted to forget. I think he deserved to know the truth from the moment he reached his majority...
When the truth came out, oh well, it wasn't as dramatic as I hope it could be. But at least the story ended every cards placed on the table. The little boy finally had his needed truth and happy ending.
2. Camilla had worked for the countess for a while and saw the great love for her son and her son's subtle rejection for it. Since the old lady has been kind to her and her little boy, she decided to repay the kindness by meddling with her affairs. She sent a missive to the earl that his mother was at death's door. When the earl finally knew that he was tricked, he refuses to stay unless Camilla agreed to a compromise.
I love the dedication Camilla has given her work and to the countess. Even though she learned the truth, and could not fathom how the countess could have done it, she never left her. But most of all, I really adore her because she was a great mother. That no matter what her feelings are, or how those feelings run deep for Pierce, she would still chose her son.
Sabrina Jeffries once again made a beautiful story, not just a love story shared between the opposite sex. But it's a wonderful story of forgiveness, moving on and the extent of a mother's love for her children. 'Twas a Night After Christmas is a perfect season read for all the regency book lovers out there.
Favorite Quotes:
- “I’m suggesting that you let someone inside that empty room you call a heart. Whether you make her your wife or your mistress, a man’s bed is decidedly warmer if there’s a fire burning in something other than his cock.”
- “I can promise that even having an imperfect one who loves you is better than having none at all.”
- “Believing in love isn’t like believing in flying reindeer. It’s like believing in rain. Or summer. Or Christmas. Love is real and steady and absolutely essential to any kind of life. Not believing in it doesn’t make it any less so.”
- “If you’ve learned anything from your parents, it ought to be this—love works only when it’s mutual. Otherwise, eventually it becomes exactly what you call it—a meaningless word. For both parties.”
