Title: A Countess for Christmas
Author: Christy McKellen
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Book Blurb:
The earl's secret bride…
Emma Carmichael is shocked when she sees who she's waitressing for at a lavish party—Jack Westwood, the new Earl of Redminster. Her new life comes crashing down when Jack announces to the world that they're married!
Jack has never forgotten his first love despite the tragedy that tore them apart. When the paparazzi cameras intrude, he proposes they live as man and wife until the fuss dies down. Emma feels like Cinderella, masquerading as his countess…only, behind closed doors, their marriage feels tantalizingly real…
My Review:
Emma is working as a maid for an obnoxious gentleman (and I use that term loosely) who’s hosting a party for the well-to-do when she sees the one man she’s ever loved: Jack Westwood. Panic sets in and one thing leads to another, Jack comes to her rescue and announces to the world that they’re secretly married.
Jack hasn’t stopped thinking about Emma since that fateful day six years ago when she crushed his very soul. He’s hurting and wants to make her pay but can’t bring himself to do it. Now, thanks to his protective nature, the press as well as his parents, are demanding to know the truth. He hatches a plan and Emma reluctantly agrees to publicly become his wife. Can the two of them put aside their attraction and be husband/wife in name only or will love break down the walls around their hearts?
I love reading second chance romances and I instantly connected with Emma. Imagine living in high society of Britain only to have your father pass away when you’re eighteen, leaving you and your mother in dire straits, up to your eyeballs in scandal and mounting debts. Your mother is ill and can’t even get out of bed. The last thing on your mind is love and romance. This is what happened six years ago to Emma.
Told from both perspectives, the reader gets to see what both Jack and Emma are thinking. I didn’t care for the constant conflict and Jack’s parents annoyed me to no end. While Jack and Emma dance around their mutual physical attraction for 90% of the book and don’t trust each other until the very end, I enjoyed both characters. They bring out the best in each other and that’s all I want in a Harlequin romance.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Books for giving me a complimentary ARC for me to read and review.
My Rating: 4 stars
Buy it now:
Author Biography:
Formerly a Video and Radio Producer, Christy now spends her time writing fun, impassioned and emotive romance with an undercurrent of sensual tension. When she’s not writing, she can be found enjoying life with her husband and three children, walking for pleasure and researching other people’s deepest secrets and desires.
Christy loves to hear from readers. You can get hold of her at www.christymckellen.com
Social Media Links:
Website www.christymckellen.com
Reviewed by: Mrs. N