Book reviews

A Christmas Promise
Mary Balogh Book Review

Read a book review online (click here to search reviews)
Books Movies  
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Mystery/Thriller Literature Romance Biography Video
Mary Balogh Books
New book search
Mary Balogh Message Board
Get more information about this book
Plot Summary of A Christmas Promise
"Randolph Pierce, the new Earl of Falloden, needs money quickly or he will lose Grenfell Park, the debt-ridden home of his youth. The former earl was a spendthrift. To his surprise, a coal merchant tells him he has bought all of Randolph's debts and will forgive them as well as give him half of his considerable fortune if Randolph will marry his daughter. With much reluctance, Randolph accepts the coal merchant's terms. He will wed Eleanor Transome, a young woman he has never met. Eleanor loves her father dearly, but only agrees to marry her father's choice of husband because he is dying. In order for Eleanor's father to witness the marriage, they marry just before Christmas.

Both Randolph and Eleanor start their marriage thinking poorly of the other for agreeing to the arrangement. He assumes she only wants a title. She assumes he only wants money. Both would have rather married for love. They start their married life at Randolph's estate just as the Christmas season begins.   As family and friends join them for seasonal festivities, Eleanor and Randolph slowly begin to learn more about one another. They have sexual relations because he needs an heir and she wants children. But as they come to find more to like about each other, they are both surprised to discover how much they enjoy making love. Their bodies are telling them what they cannot yet admit -- that they are falling in love."

L. Watson, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of A Christmas Promise
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of story - Regency era
Marriage/Married Yes
Marriage subplot: - arranged marriage spurring real love

Main Male Character
Profession/status: - Prince/Nobleman/King
Age/status: - 20's-30's
How sexual is this person? - several sexual encounters
How romantic is this person? - somewhat romantic
Sex has good effect on him Yes
Sex makes him - blissful - sensitive
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Female Character
Age/status: - 20's-30's
How sexual is this person? - naive virgin
How romantic is this person? - somewhat romantic
Sex has good effect on her Yes
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Setting
Europe Yes
European country: - England/UK
Misc setting - Fancy Mansion

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
What % of story is romance related? - 90%
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - descript of kissing - touching of anatomy - actual description of sex
Focus of story - equally on him and her
How much dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
How much sexing? - 3-4 sex acts
Most similar books to A Christmas Promise
Fool for Love by Eloisa James
Barely a Bride by Rebecca Hagan Lee
Somewhere I'll Find You by Lisa Kleypas
To Wed a Stranger by Edith Layton
On A Wicked Dawn by Stephanie Laurens


Click here for more information about this book


Mary Balogh Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
L. Watson  

SCHOLARS:
Angel Manners  Ashareh  Sandra Calhoune  lipp78  plnorth  maggie roberts  Stephanie B.  Susan  


Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
Three ways to search for Romance books!

1) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot or subplot below!

Action/suspense subplot?

Captor, in love with

Caretaker, in love with

Children/Pregnancy

Difficult/unusual lover?

Family focus?

Fantasy/Magic

Forbidden/mismatched love?

Hidden Identity/Secret Motive

Inner struggle subplot

Love Triangles/Polygons

Lovers are competitors

Making a living subplot

Marriage/Married

Matchbreaker

Matchmake, (will/family)

Phone/email/mail relationship

Pygmalion--From Wench to Woman

Searching/Rekindling love?

Seduction/coercion/force

Sex/Erotic story, Primarily

Sports training/competing story

Time Travel

Virgin, dramatically devirginized



or 2) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
3) Even more search options available with a Detailed Booksearch (click here)

Use our site!
17 FREE Sci-Fi Ebooks!
FREE "How to be happy" Ebook!
Feedback


Most recent discussions:

General Book Talk
Book writing discussion
Off-topic message board
George W. Bush 2:32:02 AM
Anonymous 2:03:39 AM
Erin Hunters 9:00:01 PM
Betty Mahmoody 6:00:22 PM
Judith McNaught 11:55:44 AM
Iris Johansen 9:03:43 PM
Norah Lofts 1:11:37 PM
Jane Rubino 9:32:45 AM
Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twersky 11:28:51 PM
Faye Kellerman 12:37:41 AM
LaVyrle Spencer 7:25:23 PM
Robert James Waller 8:30:15 PM
Suzanne Weyn 12:50:03 AM
Deric Longden 2:54:11 PM
Wilma Counts 1:23:32 PM
Kin Platt 12:58:29 AM
Lilian Jackson Braun 10:05:52 PM
G.A. McKevett 10:03:31 PM
David Williams 10:03:01 PM
Steven Pressfield 10:02:30 PM

More message boards