The Merry Viscount
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4.1 • 7 Ratings
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
The “fallen” ladies of Puddledon Manor’s Benevolent Home are determined to rise above scandal—and forge a sparkling new future operating their own brewery and alehouse…
With Christmas around the corner, Miss Caroline Anderson hoped to persuade a London tavern owner to carry the Home’s Widow’s Brew—only to discover the dastard was more interested in her ankles than her ale! To her further annoyance, her stagecoach back to Little Puddledon is waylaid by louts and a snow-covered ditch. Amid a nasty storm, Caro seeks shelter at a nearby estate—only to be greeted by Viscount Oakland, aka Nick, her brother’s childhood friend—and her schoolgirl crush. Now he’s the half-dressed host of what is clearly a holiday bacchanal. Still, his house is irresistibly warm…
Ever the free spirit, Nick has invited the wilder gentlemen of the ton, and an assortment of London’s lightskirts, to celebrate Christmas in a more traditional, pagan fashion. So he’s surprised to find Caro at his door. Now, with a blizzard raging, he must take her in—despite his fear she won’t take to his guests, and worse, upend his party. But she may surprise him—and upend his life…
Praise for What Ales the Earl
“A pure delight.”
—New York Times bestselling author Betina Krahn
“A fun, heartwarming Regency romance elevated by witty dialogue and a unique concept.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Entertaining, earthy … readers will look forward to more stories about the women of the Benevolent Home.”
—Booklist
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The poorly plotted second Widow's Brew Regency (after What Ales the Earl) is saved by its humor as upstairs and downstairs celebrate Christmas together. Successful brewer Caroline Anderson is determined to get her beer sold in London, but the big-city tavern keepers hit on her while snubbing her brew. As she heads home, disappointed, snow strands her stagecoach near the home of the notorious Viscount Oakland, known as Lord Devil for his dissolute ways. However, Caro knew him as a child, so she ignores the orgy going on in Oakland's home, gets the stagecoach passengers lodging, and even negotiates a deal in which Oakland will pretend to be romantically involved with her to protect her from one of the male passengers. Caro and Oakland, both survivors of trauma, had assumed they were doomed to solitary futures, but their instant chemistry makes them reconsider. There's less appeal in the side plot about a poor and desperate single mother and the unpleasant nobleman who fathered her baby and abandoned her. The zany cast of characters and the protagonists' unintentionally funny internal monologues somewhat make up for the glaring anachronisms and plot holes, but fans of holiday Regencies can find much better fare elsewhere.
Customer Reviews
Lovely Christmas Story
I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. The Merry Viscount by Sally MacKenzie is the second book in her charming Widow’s Brew series.
It can be read as a standalone but I enjoyed the first book so recommend reading both. This book is a delightful Christmas story full of warmth and humour and all the joys of the season.
Caroline Anderson is returning home after a visit to London when the coach she is travelling in crashes just outside the estate of her childhood crush Nicholas (Nick) St. John, Viscount Oakland aka Lord Devil. The passengers from the coach are reluctant to seek shelter from the winter storm because of Nick’s reputation and indeed when Caroline arrives she interrupts his plans for a Christmas Orgy although the idea doesn’t seem to appeal as much now that he is sober. With a houseful of uninvited guests to care fore Nick and Caroline set out to have a true Christmas something they both have not had for many years. I enjoyed reading this book immensely. Medium Steam. Publishing Date Sept 24, 2019
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