The Christmas of a Countess (The Holidays of the Aristocracy Book 1)


Milton Grandby, Earl of Torrington, has planned a special Christmas with his new bride, Adele, at his hunting lodge in Northumberland. Alone. He needs to come up with a cunning plan to leave his faithful valet and his wife’s maid out of the picture and live out his erotic fantasies. To further his plot, Milton abandons his valet, Alonyius Banks, and his wife’s maid, Alice Simpkins, at a coach house in the English countryside. Snowbound, Alice and Alonyius must make the difficult choice between societal convention or their growing attraction.

“The Christmas of a Countess” is for the most part well written and easy to read.  The author does a good job of creating the atmosphere of the Regency Era. However, what little plot is contained in the story serves only as a means of conveying the reader from one love scene to the next. With little action outside the boudoir and no character development, “The Christmas of a Countess” is formulaic and predictable. Ms. Sande’s decision to intertwine the story of two couples is interesting and a good idea that needs more development. The romantic scenes are erotic and well written.  With a similar level of creativity and imagination devoted to plot and character development, Ms. Sande is sure to have a best-seller on her hands.

Gwenellen Tarbet