Once Upon a Christmas - Diane Farr

Home for the Holidays

After a tragic loss, Celia Delacourt faces the daunting prospect of a lonely life as a governess ... or worse. Then her distant cousin, the Duchess of Delacourt, arrives on her doorstep, inviting her to spend Christmas on the family estate. Celia suspects that the reserved noblewoman has an ulterior motive up her expensive sleeve, but nonetheless decides that spending the holidays in a palace will surely surpass spending them in the poorhouse....

Jack Delacourt knows his mother is plotting something when he receives a strange-sounding Christmas invitation that he recognizes as a thinly veiled matchmaking ploy. But if his mother plans to bully him into betrothal with a stranger, Jack is equally prepared with a plan of his own. He meets his cousin Celia with every intention of putting her off. But Celia is not at all what he expected--and they may be about to share the most wonderful Christmas gift of all....

I had already read another book by Diane Farr when I came across this one. The other book was The Fortune Hunter and I really enjoyed it so I couldn't resist picking this one up.

And it was a really nice and occasionaly fun story. Celia Delacourt has lost her entire family when she is brought to the attention of some wealthy relatives and taken in by the Duchess of Arnsford. The Duchess has an ulterior motive as Celia soon finds out. She wants Celia to marry Lord Lynden, her son, and decides to train her accordingly.

When Jack, Lord Lynden, arrives he suspects his mother has found a new girl for him to pay court to and decides on an very excentric atitude to put her off. This leads to a series of misunderstandings that have Celia believing Jack is mad and that his family just makes him worse. Despite this the two enjoy each other company and soon Jack realises Celia is not the fortune hunter he believed she was.

It was really a very nice story and it was quite fun to see how the Duchess plots to have all she wants happen and how that actually comes about in a different way. It was a nice touch for us to be in on the Duchess's secret, it made her more human. I also really enjoyed the secondary romance and the propect that Elizabeth might find some happiness.

Grade: 4.5/5