This book was another really sweet romance set in the Town of Cressmouth aka Christmas. Like the previous book, the characters in this one find themselves snowed in, which is of course a perfect time to slow down and get to know one another – even for those as driven as this unlikely pairing.
Angelica Parker is focused on her dreams of becoming recognized as a great jeweler. She is missing time with her family to feverishly work on custom orders. She has faced some discrimination because she’s a Black woman – people who refused to believe that she is the one creating all her work. This makes her a little wary of Jonathan MacLean when he breezes into her shop, but he charms her as quickly as he does anyone else.
Jonathan MacLean is equally driven. He’s constantly on the move from one town to another, and vows never to visit the same place twice. He finds himself adrift when snowed in without his business partner or the Duke they hope will fund their ready-made clothing business. He’s also my favorite romantic lead in a long time. He’s charming and cheerful and gives away his money to anyone who will take it. As one might expect, he has hidden depths.
I really loved the interactions between Angela and Jonathan. They had easy chemistry from the start and were just really sweet together.
I also loved that they never went beyond kissing in the book. It felt right for them, and it also made me more comfortable reading it.
There weren’t many obstacles, and those there were melted away pretty quickly, but that’s what I wanted in a sweet Christmas romance and so I’m very pleased with the experience of reading it. I will definitely be seeking out more of Erica Ridley and the Dukes of Christmas series.
Thanks to Netgalley, WebMotion, and Erica Ridley for providing an e-arc to review
Whimsical Dragonette 