Christmas at Sugar Plum Manor By Roseanna M. White
This is an enjoyable and delightful retelling of The Nutcracker. The key elements of the story are there but they woven into the story so artfully that if you are not aware of it beforehand you may not notice it.
Lady Mariah Lyons loves her home at Plumford Manor, especially at Christmas time when she helps transform it into Sugar Plum Manor. Unfortunately as the stepdaughter of the Earl of Castleton, she'll never inherit her belief home. No it will be passing to distant relative of the earl's, Cyril Lightbourne.
Cyril was a close friend of Mariah after a delightful holiday while both were still children. But time and a misunderstood conversation have reshaped what everyone expected to have happened. Years have passed Cyril and Mariah finally get a chance to rediscover their bonds of childhood friendship.
This is a lovely story that retells a Christmas Classic without resorting to the use of magic or oversized rodents. My favorite scene involves the Christmas display and all the wonders one could conceive of. And when Mariah plans a surprise with the village children she changes this holiday into one no one will ever forget. Highly recommended if you want a quiet, clean read for the Christmas season.
I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.
About the Book:
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 upon a time, Mariah dreamed their old friendship would kindle into something more—but that was before she heard that Cyril was courting the cruel-hearted Lady Pearl. Now, Mariah is willing to welcome him as a friend and pray he will finally be the heir her stepfather needs, but she’ll keep her heart locked safely away from anyone with such poor taste.
Due to misunderstandings, Cyril Lightbourne has long avoided returning to Plumford Manor, yet he reluctantly returns in time for Christmas. When his friendship with Lady Mariah reignites, he finds himself torn between his affection for her and her family's distance toward him because of Lady Pearl, a woman he’d rather forget. Then more trouble arrives in the form of a Danish lord on a mission to win Mariah's hand by Christmas…and to disgrace Cyril in the process.
Inspired by The Nutcracker, this Edwardian-era historical romance is a tale of holiday spirit, love, and the power of family and friendship from bestselling and award-winning author Roseanna M. White.
A Beautiful DisguiseThe Imposters #1By Roseanna M. White
She lives her life hidden in plain sight. Lady Marigold Fairfax and her brother Yates Fairfax have created an illusion, showing London Society what they want them to see. But in the shadows, they seek answers - they are The Imposters!
To save their estate and provide for those under their care Marigold and Yates, along with those closest to them, have formed an investigative company. They find answers that others are unable to procure. And now they've been called on to determine the loyalty of someone they know. Can they find the evidence needed to clear him? Or will they prove he is a traitor to king and country?
A Beautiful Disguise is the exciting and intriguing debut of a new series from Roseanna M. White. All the world's a stage, as the saying goes, and Marigold, known to the Ton as Lady M, is making London her stage. With careful planning and extraordinary skill, she has convinced Society that she is something other than what she truly is. But who hides beneath the feathers and almost garish colors? Sir Merritt Livingstone is determined to discover the truth for himself, while the anonymous but skilled Imposters aid him in his own investigation, an investigation that could have far-reaching effects if his suspicions prove true.
This is a must-read as summer winds down (though the temperatures don't agree with this assessment). I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.
About the Book: In Edwardian London, not all that glitters is gold as a lady and an intelligence officer’s secret mission take them from the city’s dazzling ballrooms to its covert intelligence offices.
Sir Merritt Livingstone has spent a decade serving the monarch in the field, but when pneumonia lands him behind a desk in the War Office Intelligence Division just as they’re creating a new secret intelligence branch, he’s intent on showing his worth. He suspects an aristocrat of leaking information to Germany as tensions mount between the two countries, but he needs someone to help him prove it, so he turns to The Imposters, Ltd. No one knows who they are, but their results are beyond compare.
Left with an estate on the brink of bankruptcy after their father’s death, Lady Marigold Fairfax and her brother open a private investigation firm for the elite to spy on the elite. Dubbed The Imposters, Ltd., their anonymous group soon becomes the go-to for the crème of society who want answers delivered surreptitiously. But the many secrets Marigold learns about her peers pale in comparison to her shock when she and her brother are hired to investigate her best friend’s father as a potential traitor.
Lady Marigold is determined to discover the truth for her friend’s sake, and she’s more determined still to keep her heart from getting involved with this enigmatic new client . . . who can’t possibly be as noble as he seems.
“White’s well-woven plot is engaging from start to finish with delightful threads of mystery, romance, and inspiration.”— Carrie Turansky, award-winning author.
“A Beautiful Disguise has all of the hallmarks of this beloved author’s resplendent fiction: pitch-perfect historical research, a thrilling setting and perfectly paced plot and a love story that sparks as wonderfully as Lady Marigold’s effervescent intelligence and charm. A sheer and unputdownable delight by a true master.”—Rachel McMillan, author of The Mozart Code
“5 STARS – Espionage, intrigue, and secrets abound in this beautifully crafted historical fiction set in pre-WWI Edwardian England (1909). Roseanna M White’s gift of weaving intricate, engaging plots and creating charming, lovable characters shines so clearly in this book that kicks off her new series Imposters.”— Mindy Houng, Interviews & Reviews.com.
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award-winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. She pens her novels beneath her Betsy Ross flag, with her Jane Austen action figure watching over her. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two children, editing and designing, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of numerous novels, ranging from biblical fiction to American-set romances to Edwardian British series. Roseanna lives with her family in West Virginia.
Can you please tell us a little bit about your new series, THE IMPOSTERS?
RW: I’d be delighted! THE IMPOSTERS combines quite a few super fun elements—a glittery
high-society Edwardian setting that will appeal to Downton Abbey fans . . . some tension,
suspense, and mystery . . . a romance (of course) . . . a sibling relationship that was a real joy to
write . . . and even some circus themes!
In A Beautiful Disguise, readers are introduced to Marigold and Yates Fairfax. Is there
anything else readers show know about this interesting sibling pair?
RW: Oh my. Let’s just say that though Yates is now the earl and his sister is a London fashion
icon, neither are quite what they seem. These two spend their leisure hours training on the
trapeze, the high wire, and the rings and bars. They condition their bodies to do all the stunts
that, rather than entertain under the Big Top, help them gather the information they need for
their cases. They can get into and out of anywhere—and have fun doing it.
Where did Marigold and Yates pick up the unique skills needed to open The Imposters,
Ltd.?
RW: Well, you see, the same entertainments that their father spent their entire fortune on—
traveling circuses, acrobatic troupes, theater groups, and the like—were their greatest
influences. As children, they literally dreamed of running off to join the circus, but when reality
insisted they take on the duties of the Fairfax title and save their beloved estate, they decided to
use their very particular skills to help them investigate their own. Their names get them into any
event . . . and their ability to scale walls and put on any role through their closet of disguises and
costumes ensures they can collect all the details they need.
Many of your books include themes of espionage.
Can you share with us some historical context for the setting of the novel? What major
events in world history influence the story and its characters?
RW: England and Germany were in the middle of an arms-and-naval race that eventually led to
the Great War; Germany had only recently announced a frightful warship, and England had
answered with the Dreadnaught. During the months of my story, new legislature was being
pushed in England for a major ramp-up of battleship production. Though England’s reigning
king was the first cousin of Germany’s kaiser (and Russia’s czar), tensions had never been
higher between the countries, and their politics had diverged in some key ways.
Then toss in, ahem, some literary mayhem. One of the most popular authors of the day was
William Le Queux, who wrote—you guessed it—spy novels. They were all based on the idea
that Germany had secret agents infiltrating England (totally untrue, in retrospect), and it caused
a real mania. Every German was reported, and the authorities were flooded with claims of
seeing spies at work. It was all nonsense, but it did convince the government to take all their
different (and inefficient) intelligence branches—that of the army, the navy, and the police—
and combine them into one group: MI5.
Was there anything that you found particularly interesting in your research that you
included in your book?
RW: Something I probably should have known before but had never looked into is the Coldstream
Guard. We know them as the stone-faced guards of the palaces. You know, the ones who
supposedly won’t flinch or break character no matter what you do. This Guard is, in fact, the most
elite of England’s army, kind of like our SEALs or Rangers. They get the palace posting because
they’ve earned it through the best training and field service. I decided to make my hero, Sir Merritt
Livingstone, a member of the Coldstream Guards, but then relegated him to a desk job because of
a lingering bout of pneumonia. But he brought a lot of training and honor to the new position!
How can readers connect with you?
RW: You can find me on all the major social media platforms @RoseannaMWhite, and you
can sign up for my newsletter and visit my shop full of signed books and other bookish delights
at RoseannaMWhite.com. I love chatting with readers.
About the Author:
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award-winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. She pens her novels beneath her Betsy Ross flag, with her Jane Austen action figure watching over her. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two children, editing and designing, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of numerous novels, ranging from biblical fiction to American-set romances to Edwardian British series. Roseanna lives with her family in West Virginia.
