A Duel for Christmas

Lady Maud Worlington was expecting a quiet family Christmas Eve dinner, but her brother changed that by announcing his engagement to Helena. Maud wasn’t excited to meet Helena or her brother, the Duke of Tilbury, Geoffrey Angiers. When she does, not only is she surprised that he is the guardian of Helena but how young he truly is. Geoffrey has just attained the age of majority, and Maud is five years older than that. Still Maud shows Geoffrey the utmost respect until one night under a sprig of mistletoe he kisses her. Both Maud and Geoffrey feel the attraction, but being older and wiser, Maud knows  she  must put a stop to it. Still, new situations throw them together, especially when it comes to Geoffrey being suspected of murder.

The story is wonderfully set amid the allure of Christmas celebrations, heightened by family drama and capped off by an engagement. As the story moves along, the plot thickens with suspense and a murder to solve, which makes the book much more than just a lighthearted historical romance.  Within the murder subplot, however, some things aren’t fully explained, and Maud, the ever-practical older heroine, is not an easy character to like. She rubs her age in Geoffrey’s face, repeatedly reminding him that she is older and knows more than he does. Readers may find it difficult to believe in the relationship between the two. Geoffrey’s character, on the other hand, despite his youth, is a wonderful hero who is easy to fall for. Overall, the story is quite enjoyable, and even with the murder there is a happily ever after. 

Roslynn Ernst