🎄🧚🏻‍♀️ “Christmas at Sugar Plum Manor” (2024) 🧚🏻‍♀️🎄– Book Review

MY REVIEW 

 

Paperback: 208 Pages
Publisher: Bethany House (September 3, 2024)
Language: English
ISBN 10: 076424292X
ISBN-13: 978-0764242922
⬅️ Click Photo for Order Information

 

“The Nutcracker and Edwardian-Era England combine to weave a magical tale of love and friendship at Christmastime.

 

As the beloved stepdaughter of the Earl of Castleton, Lady Mariah Lyons cherishes her home at Plumford Manor, but her idyllic world will be threatened when the estate passes to Cyril Lightbourne, a childhood friend she hasn't seen or heard from in years. Once, Mariah dreamed their friendship would kindle into something more, but that was before she heard Cyril was courting the cruelhearted Lady Pearl. Now Mariah is willing to welcome him as a friend and pray he will be the heir her stepfather needs, but she'll keep her heart locked safely away from anyone with such poor taste.

 

Cyril Lightbourne has long avoided returning to Plumford Manor, yet he reluctantly arrives in time for Christmas. When his friendship with Lady Mariah reignites, he finds himself caught between his affection for her and her family's misunderstanding of his attachment to Lady Pearl. Then, more trouble arrives in the form of a Danish lord on a mission to win Mariah's hand by Christmas. Will the magic of the holiday season help lead to the discovery of true love, or will duty to country leave all longing for what could have been?”

 

Thank you in advance to the publisher, Bethany House, for providing a complimentary review copy through the author’s launch team. A positive review was not required or requested, and all words are my own.

I absolutely LOVE Christmas stories. I could read them year-round, and have done so many times. There’s just something so sweet and inspiring about a Christmas story.

 

And, as much as I love Christmas, I’ve never seen or read The Nutcracker. Though, I do love a few tunes from the ballet. One, the Russian Dance, was even featured in Home Alone.

 

Enjoying Christmas stories, and being a fan of the author – I HAD to read this. The stunning cover was definitely a draw. Easily puts one in the holiday mood. And, some of us desperately need that.

 

While this is a standalone book, and a novella at that, I’m also wondering if it might not be the beginning to a new series by the author, thus acting as a prequel.  

 

The author introduces readers to:

 

👒 Mariah (youngest child)

🎩 Cyril

👒 Louise (eldest daughter, and widow)

🎩 Fred (middle child)

🎩 Earl Geoffrey Castleton (step father to Mariah and her siblings)

👒 Lady Beatrice Castleton (mother to Mariah and her siblings)

🎩 Søren Gyldenkrone

 

Despite it being a sweet, Christmas read, there are a few heavy themes in it. These occurred before the story, but are a part of the characters’ past: a widow, children dying in infancy, and a stillbirth. There is also a bit of a “love triangle” and a mention of revenge.

 

There ais no foul language, intimacy is limited to appropriateness for the era. Violence is only mentioned as a fight between Cyril and Søren’s brother Emil.

 

Being a novella, the story is 177 pages long, and the author does a masterful job of establishing the characters and telling a sweet Christmas tale, told from three different POVs – Mariah, Cyril, and Søren (Gyldenkrone).

 

Set in the Edwardian era (1902), and given the inheritance laws of the time – Earl Castleton is trying to find an heir for his earldom. Thus, his 5^th and distant cousin Cyril is the only viable option as he is at least “related by blood”.

 

As a child, Cyril had visited Plumford Manor, striking up a friendship and making up stories with Mariah. Now, as adults, they’ve grown distant. Mariah thinks Cyril has made an agreement with Lady Pearl – someone who is petty and cruelhearted. This causes Mariah to not think so fondly of Cyril. Cyril though, not knowing about Mariah’s assumptions, is looking forward to reconnecting with her.

 

But, Cyril isn’t the only one interested in Mariah. Søren is as well – though, for different, and not-so-good reasons. Both arrive at Plumford Manor around the same time.

 

Cyril remembers his adventures with Mariah and is pleased to hear she turned their story into a performance for the village children. Mariah makes it known she knows about his “agreement” with Lady Pearl, but does express her friendship to Cyril. She isn’t looking to marry for convenience either – even if it would mean staying at her home.

 

Cyril is hesitant to be at Plumford due to once overhearing the earl being disgusted at having to make Cyril the heir. It wasn’t about the younger man as a person; it is more or less about the laws. Mariah suggests that her step-father contact the king to change them.

 

Søren is upset about having to fix what Emil has broken. Søren is also another one of Lady Pearl’s “victims”. Seeing Cyril and Mariah together makes Søren’s plan seem even better.

 

Despite what Mariah said about being only friends, Cyril works to win her heart. Even more so once Cyril learns of Søren’s plan to court Mariah. He even goes so far as to tell her that Søren isn’t right for her.

 

Mariah’s mother tells her to give Søren a chance, and seeing what her older sister has been through, Mariah wonders if it isn’t time to put away the childish past and her romantic ideals.

 

The longer Cyril is at Plumford Manor, the more it becomes like home. And, he wants to share that home with Mariah.

 

Mariah is torn between her heart’s desire and a practical situation.

 

White proves that Christmas is truly the time for miracles and magic, especially when it comes to matters of the heart.

 

Once again, like she usually does, Roseanna M. White crafts a beautiful story with amazing characters that readers will want to revisit as soon as they turn the last page.

 

The author captures the spirit of the holiday in this story, which is the perfect weekend read for the holidays. I was able to read it in less than 12 hours after being drawn right into it.

 

Getting past the heavier tones; this was a delightful, and sweet-as-sugar plum read. There is no real anticlimactic or dramatic climax that will leave someone clutching their pearls or worried about peril. Instead, the author focuses on changing hearts and minds with simple acts.

 

I was a bit concerned at knowing nothing about The Nutcracker, and wondering if I would have to see it or read about it in order to enjoy this story. I didn’t. The story worked quite well without needing knowledge of it.

 

The ending was predictable with regard to the main characters, but also some side characters as well. Without spoiling it, I was thinking – at one point in the story and making notes – “you know … [SPOILER] would work out better here”. Great minds do think alike. That must’ve been how the author thought her readers would react. If not – well – I enjoyed it.

 

With regard to the inheritance laws – and given there was a reference to Jane Austen – as I’m a fan of Sense and Sensibility (1995), I understood them. Land and homes passed from fathers to sons. In this story, the earl didn’t have any biological children. He certainly didn’t want it to revert back to the crown either.

 

I love the fact the author didn’t turn the step-father into some kind of villain. It was endearing how much he cared for the children, and loved them as if they were his – even if Louise and Fred didn’t seemingly appreciate the fact.

 

While this is distributed by Bethany House, a primarily Christian publisher, the faith themes are not too overwhelming. Given the genre and season, they are subtle. Mostly the themes are forgiveness as well as second chances. One interesting moment was when it was noted that Mariah also tended to the villagers’ souls, Søren asks if they have a vicar. Mariah assures him they do, and adds “But Jesus never stated that the rest of us were released from duty just because there is a clergyman nearby”. A response that shows her inner beauty. Her sister thinks it only means medicine and food, whereas Mariah sees it to include joy and hope.

 

I’m looking forward to seeing if White expands this into a series. There were a few elements of the story that I’d wanted to see wrapped up, or see a conclusion. I also wouldn’t mind revisiting the characters. As much as I didn’t like her, and she didn’t make an appearance, I’d LOVE to know more about Lady Pearl.

 

For now, I’m looking forward to the final book in her The Imposters Series, An Honorable Deception, releasing in November.

 

 

 

RATING:  

 

4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Goodreads  

 

4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Bookbub  

 

4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Personal Rating (see rating explanation in this blog: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2020/01/rating-system-2020-changes.html;update https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2022/07/what-goes-into-my-reviews-2022-edition.html) 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award-winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she's homeschooling, editing and designing, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and way and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books ... to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.roseannamwhite.com.

 

 

You can also find her on the following social media accounts:

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoseannaMWhite

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roseannamwhite/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RoseannaMWhite

 

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