Once Upon a Winter's Eve [novella]

Ridiculous.

This book's premise was ridiculous too, but in this case it was so fun. It didn't try to do too much, it made you love and admire both characters. And holy sweet-talker. Could that be cheesy? If it is I don't care! It was was swoony and romantic.

And omg the opening combined with the "I've got a way to say Merry Christmas you'll never figure out" I'm jealous of Violet. JEALOUS.
And now she understood, he'd been telling her so ever since he'd landed at her feet in the ballroom, and whispered 'Nedeleg laouen.'
I have a new one for you, Violet. So obscure. You'll never guess this one. that bit of history of the couple is, frankly, magic for me.

Christian was my kind of hero. Devoted, honest, a bit of a badass. He assumed show more Violet was smart, she didn't need to prove anything. He wanted to deserve her. All packed in a little Christmas novella? I normally wouldn't read these, and I'm so glad I did. I love that Violet never regretted her decision and she was strong enough to know her own worth and figure out a path on her own.

A few more quotes:
"But I can tell you---in perfect honesty, Violet--you're the only one I ever loved."
She remained absolutely still. "Loved. You expect me to believe that you loved me."
"Yes."
"Since when?"
"I...I don't know the precise moment it started, darling."
____
He rubbed her arms and swore. "I hate that I put you in such a position."
"You misunderstand. I'm not asking you to take pity on me. I'm saying, trust in me. Ask more of me." show less

I wasn’t quite ready to leave Spindle Cove after reading book one, and reading this was the perfect way to spend a gloomy cold Christmas Eve afternoon. Violet and Christian’s story was a long lost love scenario rather than instant chemistry, and it worked nicely in the novella format. Violet was a wonderful character, and I adored Christian. I’m glad she didn’t just swoon into his arms once he started making the moves on her. The scene in the ballroom when she pulled the gun was pretty bad ass. I loved the spirit of adventure and intrigue in this story, and I’m glad I bought it, as I’ll probably want to read it again.

This is part of Dare's Spindle Cove series and was a nice second chance romance. I did miss Dare's signature humor which was sadly lacking here. Still, not a bad way to while away some time.

3.5 stars

Violet Winterbottom retreated to Spindle Cove in the wake of heartbreak and was utterly relieved that no one there tried to change her wallflower ways. But when an injured stranger bursts into the town's Christmas ball and makes his way directly to Violet, she's suddenly in the spotlight. In a single night, Violet's life will change while she tries to determine if the attractive is man is really a stranger at all.

A cute Christmas novella in the Spindle Cove series. Dare does an impressive job of crafting two believable characters with actual depth in such limited space and creates a romance that doesn't feel too rushed. Not particularly Christmas-y so if you're looking for a holiday romance this probably won't scratch that itch but it show more is a lovely historical romance novella. show less

I am reading another book that seems simple and direct, but is actually not that, and I found myself after a tough day not wanting to sink into a book that required much of me. I wanted to escape and be entertained. When I am in that sort of mood romance always works, and the romances of Tessa Dare are especially restorative and transporting. I hopped onto Hoopla, and looked at what Tessa Dare was available, and was thrilled when this popped up, an audiobook novella rather than a full length novel seemed ideal.

This book had a pleasing beginning and I liked both main characters. Christian's story was pretty implausible, but I don't look for a boatload of verisimilitude from my romance reads., and he was smart and sexy. Also, the show more audiobook reader was Mary Jane Wells, and she is a goddess whose voice and understanding of the characters just pulls me in -- she is a spectacular reader and a really great voice actress. So, there was a lot about this novella that was pleasing. The problem was that this should not have been a novella but rather a novel. A novella is the length it is and tells a story perfectly at that length. I recently read another novella, Ted Chiang's Story of Your Life, and was blown away by its perfection -- not a word wasted and not another word needed. That was not the case here. There was a great story to be told here, and it felt lazy not to tell it. There were enormous holes and the author had not set us up to fill them in. This made aspects of the book really unsatisfying. The book did not give us enough backstory on the characters' relationship prior to the night before he disappears to help the reader connect, and not enough storyline about the feelings Violet experienced as she waited to be reconciled at the end. It also doesn't reveal how Violet would be able to explain her chosen future to her family and freinds so she could stay connected to loved ones. I often read reviews that say a book really should have been an article or short story rather than a full length book. I am saying the opposite here. Great set up, so much promise, but it needed more story. Violet, Christian and I all deserved more. show less

A holiday novella in Dare's Spindle Cove series. A strange man stumbles into the Christmas ball and collapses at Violet's feet. Thus begins a short adventure involving his identity and a romance. The man is someone from Violet's past, but it takes a while for her to recognize him. If there's any real flaw in this story, it's that it takes too long for that to get revealed definitively. I was impatient with the characters (and the pov) during the bit where she thought maybe it was her old friend/lover but she wasn't sure. Entertaining, and (as I expect from romance novellas) just the right dose of quick romantic fun for when I wasn't in the mood for a full-length story. There's little in the way of Christmassy detail here, so I wouldn't show more hesitate to read it "out of season," if you're inclined. It also stood alone just fine. show less

Spindle Cove is a haven for women. A haven which is led by Susanna Finch with the goal of providing a safe place for those with delicate constitutions, overbearing family members, scandalous secrets or outlandish hobbies. There are few year round residents and even fewer male ones. Until Bram and his men turn up and are tasked with starting a militia. Although these books could be read by themselves, the plot makes much more sense having read the first book.

Violet Winterbottom has spent the past year in Spindle Cove, hiding from heartbreak and betrayal. Unfortunately her family have had enough and have demanded she return to Town at once. The night before she is to go, she is busy hiding in the corner of Spindle Cove's ballroom when show more she is interrupted by an injured and familiar man who bursts into the room and collapses at her feet.

I enjoyed this novella a lot more on the second read. The first one, I had read some of the other Spindle Cove books but not the first one and I was a bit lost on the plot. The second time round, the plot was a bit stronger and there were a lot of in jokes to be discovered. But my biggest complaint still stands - the ridiculousness that was trying to escape on a time limit but stopping every thirty seconds to kiss, make out and sleep together. Honestly, have some restraint.

I really liked Violet - she was all gun toting and ass kicking and that was awesome - although I wished there was more of it. Christian was a mixed bag. His grovelling kind of sucked. I mean he had some good romantic lines but he also waffled a bit too much. I wanted him to just sit down and explain to Violet what the hell was going on. The longer he stalled or whatever it is he was doing, the more annoyed I got. The romance was eased by the fact they had a history - it made it easier to swallow the instalove that was going on. There were some pretty swoon worthy parts but it was let down by the ridiculousness.

The plot was pretty thin but about what you expect of a novella. It was strengthened by it's relationship with the first book in the series and the appearance of some familiar characters. Overall it was an alright read - it made me smile and it made me laugh. 2.5 stars, rounded down to 2. show less