RITA Reader Challenge Review

RITA Reader Challenge: Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish by Grace Burrowes

B+

Title: Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish
Author: Grace Burrowes
Publication Info: Sourcebooks 2011
ISBN: 978-1402261541
Genre: Historical: European

Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish This review was written by Polished Bookworm. This story was nominated in the Best Regency Historical Romance category.

The summary:     


Lady Sophie Windham has maneuvered a few days to herself at the ducal mansion in London before she must join her family for Christmas in Kent. Suddenly trapped by a London snowstorm, she finds herself with an abandoned baby and only the assistance of a kind, handsome stranger standing between her and complete disaster.

With his estate in ruins, Vim Charpentier sees little to feel festive about this Christmas. His growing attraction for Sophie Windham is the only thing that warms his spirits-but when Sophie's brothers whisk her away, Vim's most painful holiday memories are reawakened. It seems Sophie's been keeping secrets, and now it will take much more than a mistletoe kiss to make her deepest wishes come true…

And here is Polished Bookworm's review:

This book is an enjoyable bit of Christmas cheer, featuring a snowstorm, a baby, and a handsome man who knows his way around a nappy.  This is 'mommy porn' – a man who not only knows how to change a diaper but does so voluntarily. *swoon*

I appreciated the interaction between Vim and Sophie as they bonded over their affection for the abandoned baby Kit.  It was refreshing to observe the development of their relationship away from the conventions of society.  Circumstances allowed them to drop pretenses and be themselves, which made it all the easier for them to fall in love.

As with all Grace Burrowes' novels, the dialogue flowed naturally and the characters physically reacted to one another organically.  I truly felt like I was a voyeur observing a fully realized world.  I was especially thrilled Sophie's brothers, featured in previous novels, retained their personalities rather than simply appearing as plot devices.

Unfortunately, once Vim and Sophie's blizzard-induced isolation was breached the plot began to weaken.  I know there had to be conflict in the story, it couldn't be all snowflakes and lullabies.  However, I can't help thinking it could have been done better.  The 'misunderstanding' felt contrived to me and Vim's 'secret' made me want to shake him by the cravat and tell him to get over himself.  Luckily for Sophie, he did.

Despite minor flaws, this is another engaging entry in the Windham family chronicles that can be enjoyed any time of year.


This book is available from Goodreads | Amazon | BN | Sony | Kobo | All Romance eBooks.

Comments are Closed

  1. Ghengis Mom says:

    I enjoyed this series.

  2. Suzanne says:

    Vim? Short for Vimto… a refreshing summer drink!

  3. Cecelia says:

    Read this one over the weekend and liked it a lot – though I agree, the story lost some of its vigor after Vim & Sophie’s isolation ended.

    Also, I couldn’t help but think that there was quite a lot of food lying around for a house that had been closed for the holidays… (thinking of my own fridge when I leave for a week, for example…)

  4. Vimto … sounds delicious!  I think Vim was short for Wilhelm 🙂

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