A Very Daring Christmas

Two souls kept apart by two warring nations- society & propriety. Love that gave me all the butterflies, feasting on the tensions of angst and isolation.
Phillippa Hampton has never liked crowds, she shies away from everyone and everything until she meets the Dowagers handsome steward. Bram opens a side of Pippa that she never lets free, her naughty side. Kept locked inside never daring. But his love forces her to dare. To dare to be herself, to dare to defy the dowager and claim her own happiness.
This story fills you with light, a tender joy that is unmatched. I found myself burrowing deep into the story, like a cozy blanket revelling in each of their tender moments. I knew Pippa was a character I could relate to. One who shies away from people, but at her core loves her dear ones and embraces her naughty, teasing nature. I was overjoyed by their happiness. Underneath that love story was another story of a cantankerous Dowager who rules over all. She loves her family, and wants the best for them but is clouded by her own past. Her and Bram’s teasing relationship, brought me great joy. He proved to her that love is worth the risk.

I have consistently loved Charlie Lane’s books. In this one, Pippa (sister of a duke’s wife) and Bram (steward to the duke’s grandmother) meet when Pippa goes to stay with the Dowager Duchess/Grandmamma in Scotland who has decided to prepare her for her debut into the ton. Apparently, she becomes entangled with Bram and when Grandmamma discovers this, she sends Pippa back home without even the opportunity to say goodbye. She pines for Bram, who has made no effort to contact her, and ultimately decides she was just a fling and she’d best get over him. Nevertheless, she wants to return to Scotland more than anything and aspires to remain a spinster.

Lo and behold, Grandmamma shows up for Christmas and brings Bram with her. Lest the reader believe Grandmamma is secretly looking to matchmake, she intends the exact opposite. In fact, she sets them against one another and announces the winner of the wager will be the one to return to Scotland with her. Bram knows that if he loses his job he will lose his inheritance, a castle near the Dowager Duchess. His dream is to gain his inheritance and ask Pippa to marry him, but she is convinced he doesn’t actually care about her. If he loses the wager, he loses the castle and he loses Pippa, but if he wins the wager, he loses Pippa. Pitted against each other and determined to convince Grandmamma there is nothing between them, Bram decides he loves Pippa enough to help her win the wager even if that means losing his job. The question is, how can they both have everything they want? I won’t ruin the story by giving away the ending. Turns out, true love does win.

It turns out to be a very daring Christmas for Pippa and Bram. I loved this story, and their way back to each other. A simple kiss that starts it all. A wonderful love story.