What Happens At Christmas

What an absolutely joyous read from cover to cover! The opening of Chapter 1 provides the date of December 18, 1886, and then continues on December 21st for the days of merriment leading up to Christmas, December 25th.

Victoria Alexander delights and treats the reader in every way! There are wonderful characters (in fact, I could picture some of the actors/actresses that portray the characters in Downton Abbey in the scenes of this novel), and the characters are described so that each personality can be enjoyed to the fullest. The rich characterizations are portrayed during the magical days leading up to Christmas, when anything is possible. The dialogue is witty and fun! Like many readers, I fully ensconce myself in the emotions of the show more story being shared with each novel. And although I might be smiling while reading, I rarely laugh out loud. However, I could not help but be absorbed in the merriment created by Camille, Lady Lydingham. I couldn't help but laugh out loud during some of her antics and private thoughts.

I would highly recommend this novel as a delightful treasure for a Christmas gift - to treat yourself or another - which could be read and enjoyed during any season of the year! It's filled with an abundance of delights, and the pages will quickly be turned to enjoy the romance, the magic, the glee, and the mayhem in the setting of a Victorian Christmas in an English country home.

I can't wait to read another novel by Victoria Alexander! show less

One of the most entertaining Christmas historical romances I have read. Widowed Camille, is trying to elicit a marriage proposal from a handsome and oh so perfect Prince by Christmas. The Prince has always wanted to experience a traditional English Christmas with an English family - however Camille's family is anything but traditional - they are so unconventional that she feels the need to hire a troupe of actors to play them! But she soon finds her "production" is fraught with difficulties and her true family just wont stay away! Add to that the appearance of childhood friend who left her broken hearted 11 years ago, and her "Perfect" Christmas begins to unravel.
This book is both a light-hearted and comedic read with a great company of show more players. Camille and Grayson are meant for each other but they just can't admit it. I loved it! show less

*Book source ~ Many thanks to Kensington for providing a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Camille, Lady Lydingham and Beryl, Lady Dunwell are twins who are not known for being boring. In fact, their whole family is a bit barmy. So when Camille is hoping a Prince of some foreign country (Camille can’t remember which) will propose to her she decides to hire a troupe of actors to play her family and give him a proper English Christmas at her family home Millworth Manor. Except for her twin, the rest of the family are in Europe and out of the way. What can go wrong?

Yeah, what exactly can go wrong with this scenario? You got it. Just about everything. This was a delightfully fun holiday historical romance with plenty of show more unexpected turns and shenanigans. I’ve read a few other books by Victoria Alexander and enjoyed them so I was pretty sure I would have a fun time reading this one. I was right. The characters are excellent, the writing wonderful and the plot is one I’ve not seen before. Who hires actors to play their family in order to impress a Prince? I just knew it wouldn’t go smoothly. Lol If you’re looking for an entertaining historical holiday romance then be sure to pick this one up. I’m sure it won’t disappoint. show less

This story was so ridiculous as to be brilliant, much like the characters.

Camille wants to marry a prince, so she makes cooks up a scheme to hire a fake family to impress a prince for Christmas. What happens from there can best be described as a melodrama. My imagination was not willing to stretch to accommodate the story line, and yet, with each addition of absurdity, I found myself howling with laughter. At the heart of it all was a tender romance nearly lost to pride and arrogance.

The story is about a Christmas farce, and the story itself resembles a farce, but it is keenly written and ultimately entertaining.

This was a fun, light-hearted romance. It also had plenty of Christmas details that I require this time of year. The main character is a strong-willed, perhaps a little too quick to jump into action heroine who not only has enough family to keep you shaking your head at the craziness, she also hired actors to play a typical family but who are even crazier than her real family. You realize even though your family drives you nuts their really is no place like home for the holidays.

Surprisingly well-written for a historical, comedic romance. Camille hires actors to play her family in a traditional English Christmas at Millworth Manor in order to fulfill her lifelong dream of snaring a prince and becoming a princess. Her twin sister sees the farce for its disastrous comic potential and goes along. The actors are not very good and one snag after another threatens Camille's plan but none so much as the arrival of her first true love - Grayson Elliott - who unexpectedly proposed marriage 11 years ago, on the eve of her wedding, and then disappeared. Victoria Alexander blends Christmas tradition, the theme of forgiveness in many forms, and light romance with wry humor to create a thoroughly enjoyable holiday romp.

"In 1886 Dec 18-25 & after. Camille Lady Lydingham wants a Prince, Nikolai Pruzinsky of Greater Avalonia. To give him a traditional English Christmas, she hires actors as family, servants. Suddenly Grayson Elliott returns after making his fortune in America. Eleven years ago, he declared love the day before her marriage to another then vanished. Now he wants her back."

Title: What Happens At Christmas By: Victoria Alexander Series: Millworth Manor # 1
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean Rating: 5

Review:

"What Happens At Christmas" By: Victoria Alexander

What I liked about the novel.....

This was one of those fun reads that will have you laughing so hard pretty near all the way through the read. "What Happens At Christmas" was rather a long read, show more however, it was one read that you will find it hard to put down definitely being of a read of second chances for not only Camille and Grayson, Beryl and her husband but also the twins parents and sister. What will happen when Camille's long lost love...Grayson comes back into the picture after eleven years? This author really knows how to present a storyline that will keep you on the edge of your seat turning the pages until the end as we are given a setting with the lives of the characters....all of them even the actor...to the events that will give one twist and turns in this unfolding chaotic story. Will this family be able to forge through their past and find forgiveness and be able to move on to a future? This is where you will have to read it to see how this author will give it to the reader. "What Happens at Christmas" will be definitely one of those festive reads where some things aren't what they may seem to be. Be ready for a good story of loss love, drama and yes even deception. Would I recommend "What Happens at Christmas?" YES! show less