Customer Reviews

Once upon a Christmas

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Diane Farr continues, in this book, to demonstrate her talent for witty, charming and romantic storytelling. She creates a series of likeable characters - even her 'villains', to the extent that any have malicious or unkind motives, are well drawn and aren't without redeeming features.

Celia is the impoverished great-grand-daughter of a duke; her grandfather was disowned by his family many years before, and she has never met any of her titled relatives. All of her immediate family has recently died tragically, and she faces life as a governess. Until the Duchess, her cousin-once-removed by marriage, arrvies to sweep her off to Delacourt Palace. Unknown to Celia, the Duchess has ulterior motives...

Jack Delacourt, the Marquess of Lynden, is well aware of his mother's matchmaking activities, and has no intention of being caught in this particular trap. This leads him to behave coarsely and lewdly, hoping to give Celia a disgust of him. But he finds himself falling in love with her instead... while she's convinced that he's insane!

The Duchess's plotting is frequently hilarious, but equally frequently poignant, as we are let in on the secret she shares only with her abigail: she is terminally ill, and desperate to see her only son married to someone who will continue to run Delacourt just as she has always done. It's very clear that Celia won't; it's equally clear that Jack would simply not be happy with someone who would!

There is a delightful, and low-key, secondary romance to look forward to, as well. Definitely a heart-warming book to read at Christmas-time!

I love Diane Farr's stuff. I have been a fan since the beginning, and she has quickly risen to the top-five list of my favorite Regency authors. This book is no exception. The main characters, Jack and Celia, are likable and real, and you get to know them and want them to realize how well-suited they are. That is a sign of a good romance, in my opinion. In addition, the supporting characters are all well-drawn. There is a nice secondary romance story involving one of Jack's sisters, a character from a previous Farr book (The Nobody), and another story line about Jack's mother, the Duchess. Those are both especially nice because they humanize characters who were rather unlikable in the original story.

Celia does have a great tragedy in her past, which may make some eyes roll, but it's simply and emotionally described, and is not talked about ad nauseum for effect--quite the opposite. There is a bit of a silly misunderstanding between the lovers at first, but Farr uses it nicely to comic effect and it doesn't get annoying. Despite the misunderstanding, Jack and Celia quickly establish a rapport, and it's delightful to see them quickly falling for each other without quite realizing it.

As the cherry on top, there is a cat in this book who is quite simply one of the best-written cats I've ever read. Now, you may not like cats, or you may think I am nuts to even mention this. But in my opinion, authors often seem to have difficulty writing children or animals, as if they have never been around any and don't quite know what actual children or animals say and do. The cat in this book, though, is quite magnificently done. He is simply a cat--he does not carry messages between lovers, he doesn't rescue anyone from drowning, he doesn't take part in any conversations. He is just there, part of the texture of the story, telling you a bit about some characters in their reactions to him, and just being a cat. If you don't like cats, you won't get annoyed at his presence in the story. If you do like cats, you might notice, as I did, how perfectly Farr has written this particular cat.

This book was a keeper for me, and each time I read it it lifts my mood.

Diane Farr has written another wonderful Regency romance with her latest, "Once Upon a Christmas". The elements will be familiar to readers of the sub-genre: a poor relation, an heir reluctant to marry, a managing mother; but Farr combines them all in a touching and funny little souffle of a novel. It's the perfect book to curl up with on a blustery winter's night when the Christmas lights are on, the hot chocolare is warm, and you're looking for a sweet and tender read.

What a great story ! Its a theme that has been used before - but it is told beautifully, originally and the sort of stylish panache I have got used to with Farr.

The basic story is poor relative, Celia Delacourt gets taken from her small parsonage home where she has recently been orphaned, and removed by her over-bearing and managing Aunt, the Duchess of Arnsford. The Duchess has decided to marry her son off to Celia to escape the curse of the Arnsford's which seems to haunt the second sons (they all end up making apalling marriages and being cut off the the family).

Unfortunately while Celia is grateful for the Duchess's kind attention she is not going to fall into her plans just to please her - especially when she discovers that the son and heir, Jack Marquess of Lynden is quite Mad.

What Celia doesn't realise is that Jack, only 23, is not that eager to fall in with his mother's management plans for his future. Realising the situation he returns to the family seat of Delacourt for Christmas, determined to make an impression on this new intrigue of his mother's by playing the fool unto the girl gets a disgust of him and gives up. Unfortunately his strange behaviour just convinces her he is mad. In the end Jack doesn't even have to act made for his normal behaviour is taken as moments of sanity by her. So while Jack starts falling in love with her, she is quite unsure of how she feels - or confused by her own feelings.

This is all beautifully set against the joy of Christmas and the bleakness of the English Country winter. At the same time there is a really beautiful subplot going on with Jack's sister Elizabeth and the Duke of Blenhurst - I'll try not to give anything away here but the last paragraph of chapter 16 - which concludes this story just takes my breath away - its so lovely - so sweetly written.

I think Farr has handled this story so well - showing wit and humour yet an uncanny ability to be able to turn your emotions in a moment when necessary.

Diane Farr goes from strength to strength, and does it with such seeming effortlessness that it's truly mind-boggling. But, how wonderful for her many fans! Of course, I am one of that number, and have been for many years.

If you read her first book THE NOBODY you'll quickly recall the steely Duchess of Arnsford and her equally steely daughter, Elizabeth. You'll find them again in this new book, having moved to center stage in the process. The Delacourts are a wide-spread family, and when notified that one far-flung waif is the only remaining member of one discarded branch, the Duchess appropriates Celia Delacourt for reasons of her own.

Unknown to anyone but Hubbard, who has served Her Grace quietly and loyally for many years, the Duchess is terminally ill, and is desperate to settle her family's future before such actions are no longer possible. The future of the ducal palace, Delacourt, is nearly as important as the marriage of Elizabeth, and the heir, Jack. The Duchess is determined that it will be her iron will that will prevail.

Celia, of course, doesn't know this until well into the story, and proceeds to unknowingly upset the well-laid plans of the Duchess, thus providing a wonderful reading experience for us. Initially, it appears the future as envisioned by the Duchess will not materialize, and so, of course, she sets off in another direction, only to be baulked once again, when, once it's too late, everything works as she'd originally dreamed they would. This charming story has everything--love, laughter, tears, warmth, poignancy, and an abundance of Christmas cheer. Oh--and one mustn't forget the most amazing character of all! Manegold should certainly appear again--somewhere. He just simply can't be a one-book cat!

I don't think I've ever read anything that captures the true spirit of Christmas better than Diane Farr's lovely, uplifting novel, Once Upon A Christmas. The joy, compassion, humanity, and firm conviction that what is best in human nature can be brought out in us all which is evident in all of Diane Farr's beautiful writings, flowers once again in this delightful tale. The story showcases the blooming of true love in an austere house that manages to recapture the spirit of Christmas it had long before lost.

Celia Delacourt is a poor relation who has recently lost her entire family to a swift illness when her distant cousin, The Duchess of Arnsford, arrives and inexplicably orders Celia to move into the family palace, Delacourt. It is a place Celia's never seen because her branch of the family has been estranged ever since her grandfather married `beneath' him.

When Celia arrives at Delacourt, she slowly discovers that her cold and forbidding cousin's scheme is to marry Celia to her son Jack Delacourt, the heir, who has been living a life of pleasure in London. Her Grace worries he may find an unsuitable bride and thus continue the family curse of marrying beneath them that's hit all second sons. (Jack's older brother had died in infancy, leaving him the heir.)

Celia is a compassionate yet strong and direct-speaking woman with a mind of her own. It's fun to watch how she struggles to reconcile this with her gratitude to Her Grace. Celia actually has nowhere to go except Delacourt but resists acceding to Her Grace's wishes to entrap Jack. Especially once she meets the handsome and charming Jack who disturbingly appears to be mad as a hatter. She has no intention of taking advantage of him in any way and actually just wants to protect him from his ruthless family.

The joke is, Jack is as sane as they come but is a big prankster and, having guessed his mother's intentions to marry him off, has no intention of allowing this to happen. So before he arrives home, he's concocted an elaborate scheme to drive away his potential bride by playing insane. He does so to hilarious results.

What he didn't count on was actually falling in love with Celia, the woman he initially assumed was merely a fortune hunter. And, once he did, not being able to convince her he's sane, no matter how normal he acts. There is great fun in seeing the delightful developing relationship between Jack and Celia, their good-natured sparring, and the inevitable closeness they develop. Their love feels very genuine and like a breath of fresh air, Also, it is inspiring to see how Her Grace and her eldest priggish daughter Elizabeth are both in a way healed by the events of the story.

This is a story that brings Christmas healing and good cheer to its wonderfully developed, likable characters as well as to the reader. You will feel happiness and a love for humanity as and after you read it!

This is one of my favorites by Farr. Made me cry, made me laugh, touched my heart. The characters are VERY well drawn, plus feature a couple of characters from her first book, The Nobody. They are nasty people in The Nobody and in this book she shows you a glimpse of what their lives are really like and you understand more where they are coming from. Brilliant. Even the nastiest character in this book, the duchess, you can't help sympathizing with to an extent. This reminded me of Jane Austen where every character is flawed even the heroines, and every character has redeeeming features even the villains. By the way, Farr excels in writing beta heroes who aren't wimps. Anyone in her right mind would fall in love with Jack. And Manegold the cat acts exactly like my own cat, he's great. I promise you will LOVE THIS BOOK.

This is my favourite of the Signet Christmas regency stories. In short, a touching story well told. Quite deep, surprisingly - a small book with many levels, etc. Ms. Farr's dialogue is consistently witty, I think this is what people mean when they compare her to Georgette Heyer, I always end up reading her conversations over and over - highly amusing banter in every book & this one is no exception although the best bit IMHO takes place between the heroine and the butler! I read the hardcover from my library but am ordering several copies of the paperback this year to give as stocking stuffers, it is being reissued.

The Duchess of Delacourt was ill. No one but her trusted life-long servant knew. Before Her Grace died, she was determined to see her only son, Jack, wed. She chose Celia Delacourt, a very distant and poor relation who had recently lost her entire family to sickness. The duchess planned to train and mold Celia into he idea of what her son needed. With nowhere else to go, and not knowing Her Grace's plans of her, Celia agreed to Christmas at Delacourt.

Jack, the Marquess of Lynden, went home to Delacourt for Christmas every year. Knowing his scheming mother planned to push another fortune hunter at him, he made his appearance as mismatched, rude, and LOUD as possible! Just as he convinced Celia he was mad, he also fell under her spell. The problem was Her Grace, as always.

**** Sweet irony! That does describe it well. No adventure or danger here. But I found it to be one of the sweetest and romantic stories I have read. Perfect reading on a cold day during the holiday season while sipping hot chocolate in front of the fireplace!

I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book. The main characters were developed well and I had to laugh out loud at some of their ways the son contrived to annoy his 'oh-so-proper' family. I have ordered Diane's other books now since this is the first one I've read and don't want to miss out on any of the rest!