Not many novellas read like a full length romance as this one did. There was background given on both Adam and Sarah that made their romance believable. There were obstacles to overcome but it never felt rushed. This was a perfect Christmas themed story!

Adam Rutledge, Viscount d'Arque, really rather loathes Christmas. The banal cheerfulness. The asinine party games. And, worst of all, the obligatory trip to the countryside. His grandmother, however, loves the holiday—and Adam loves his grandmother, so he'll brave the fiercest snowstorm to please her. But when their carriage wheel snaps, they're forced to seek shelter at the home of the most maddening, infuriating, and utterly beguiling woman he's ever met.

Sarah St. John really rather loathes rakes. The self-satisfied smirks. The sly predatory gazes. Oh, and the constant witty banter rife with double meaning. But in the spirit of the season, she'll welcome this admittedly handsome viscount into her home. But as the snowstorm rages, the Yule log crackles, and the tension rises, Sarah and Adam find themselves locked in a fiery, passionate kiss. If love is the true meaning of Christmas, it's the one gift this mismatched pair can't wait to unwrap.

Adam Rutledge and his aged grandmother are traveling to an aunts house for Christmas when their carriage breaks down. Adam heads to the first house they see and it ends up being the home of Godric St. John’s (Lord of Darkness – ML #5) mother and the family is all there for the holidays along with some friends. They welcome Adam and his entourage and when they find out his grandmother is quite sick they welcome them for Christmas as well.

Sarah St. John has no desire to interact with Viscount d’Arque or any man who is considered a rake. However, the more she sees and talks to Adam the more she sees that though he has a reputation he’s actually a good man underneath it all. He’s soon melting the ice around her heart and a Christmas romance blooms.

This was a cute little novella. I wish that it had been a full-length story, however, because I felt that I needed to know both Sarah and Adam much more in order to feel all the melty tingles that I should have been feeling. Yes, the romance was good and of course Hoyt always writes a great story, but I wanted more in-depth info on the H/h! As much as I liked Sarah and Adam together things were rushed at the end and that bothered me. I also didn’t really get why Adam had to hate Christmas but I went with it. lol

Overall a quick, fun read and one I’d recommend. I mean, it’s Elizabeth Hoyt so of course I recommend it! :)

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

This will post as a guest review on Book Binge.
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Elizabeth Hoyt celebrates the holidays with the final entry in her delightful Maiden Lane series, this time in a novella about the curmudgeonly Adam and the somewhat stiff-necked Sarah.

Adam Rutledge, Viscount d’Arque, hates Christmas, which often serves to remind him of his dysfunctional childhood and cheating parents.  The only reason he’s out and on the road in the chill and freeze during Christmas week is because he loves his Christmas-adoring grandmother, the Baroness Whimple, and is accompanying her on a round of visits when their carriage axle breaks and they and their footmen are left stranded in the middle of nowhere.  Adam hikes back to the nearest home for help, which happens to belong to the somewhat eccentric St. John clan – and Adam is mightily attracted to Sarah, the family’s eldest daughter, who would rather have nothing to do with him.  Naturally, he finds himself invited to stay for the holiday.

Sarah St. John hates rakes, and in her opinion Adam is a rake ne plus ultra. Not that she has actual romance on her mind - even with multiple suitors competing for her hand, Sarah prefers to hang back from the crowd, reluctant to risk an already-bruised heart. She ought not to even be intrigued by Adam in the first place, yet she sees the softer part of his heart, just as he sees the vulnerability hidden under her tougher exterior.   With the healing magic of the holiday season at work, Adam and Sarah are forced into closer proximity thanks to their situation.  Until his grandmother’s health finally improves and his coach is properly mended, Adam’s going to have to confront the tempting miss before him  -  and both will have to realize that love might be on the cards for the two of them after all.

No one weaves society romance the way Hoyt does, and Sarah and Adam are wonderful.  Adam is roguish but flummoxed - if distant - and hides his loving core due to a tragic past.  Sarah is a bit prim and overly sure of her own correctness, but possesses a great sense of humor and a warm sense of self.  Both have deep scars running under the surface of their sarcasm, and it takes gentle probing to bring them to the surface.  Their chemistry is lovely, even though the hero is a bit pushy.

Adam and Sarah are the victims of their own presumptions and prejudices (and yes, their pride), and thankfully they have relatives willing to help them.  Megs (Sarah’s sister-in-law) and Adam’s grandmother both appear as sounding boards with lives and ambitions of their own.  The result is delightful and beautifully hewn, and written with great delicacy and warmth.  Even though Once Upon a Christmas Eve is short, it’s perfectly paced and feels like an exhilarating and touching jaunt through the woods.

As Ms. Hoyt says, ‘perfection is overrated’.  Fortunately, this treat of a story is as close to perfect as possible, and a real holiday gift for Maiden Lane fans.

Buy Now: A/BN/iB/K

A historical romance with some heat. Enough to keep you warm

I received this book for free. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Maiden Lane series has produced some remarkable couples over the years. Once such couple is Godric and Megs from book five of the series, Lord of Darkness. In this new novella, Hoyt finds love for Godric’s half-sister, Sarah St. John, and Adam Rutledge, Viscount d’Arque.

When Adam’s carriage breaks down while traveling with his grandmother in the midst of a winter storm, they must impose upon the St. John household until the storm passes. The St. John’s have invited several guests for a house party over the holiday and Adam doesn’t exactly fit in. After noticing three eligible bachelors have been invited as husband candidates for Sarah, Adam finds his own jealousy confusing. Once overcome by the unhealthy feeling, he whisks Sarah in to a secluded area and kisses her senseless.

Sarah is wary of any man after a tremendous heartbreak at a tender age. Now seven and twenty, she isn’t sure if marriage is in her future, but she knows she wants it to be. Viscount d’Arque is everything Sarah loathes in a man, but she can’t help but be enticed by his words and wicked tongue.

I adored this novella! It was the perfect blend of passion and past indiscretions all rolled up around the holiday season. Both Adam and Sarah had their reasons for not wanting love, but having it find them was so much sweeter. The unexpected couple bring an end to a beautiful series and I love that it has taken place over the holiday season. Nothing is better than an unpredictable a holiday romance!

When Adam Rutledge, Viscount D’Arque and his grandmother have their carriage break in the middle of a snow storm, he has no option but to seek refuge at the nearest location.
Sarah St. John knows D’Arque and his reputation and doesn’t need him around her or his sisters, but given their dire situation and his grandmother’s frail health, she’ll play the gracious hostess and will end up getting to know the Viscount on a completely different level.
I liked this short Christmas romance. There’s enough of the characters background story to understand the reasons why he doesn’t like Christmas and she despises rakes, the family and house party guests make for a nice interaction along the story and though Sarah’s sarcasm is not a match for Adam and his machinations, it makes for good banter and, at the end of the day, these characters will be the perfect complement for one another.

This is a sweet, fast Christmas read. Adam is traveling with his grandmother, but there's a carriage accident. They are forced to spend Christmas with the family of Sarah St. James.

One of the most charming things about Adam is his love for his grandmother, and hers for him. Sarah was taken advantage of in the past, and isn't ready to take a chance on a rake like Adam. But of course they find their way to love. Even though it's brief, the romance between them feels real, with obstacles to be overcome. A charming holiday story.

I left this review on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2178599019?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

An unusually light entry for Elizabeth Hoyt's Maiden Lane series, this novella goes down like a spoonful of sugar plum, and may be just right for readers looking for a good, historical HEA for the holidays. Features characters from earlier works in the series--Godric St. John's sister, Sarah, and Viscount d'Arque--and gives them believable but not substantial obstacles to overcome on their way to true love.

With the last book in the Maiden Lane series, Elizabeth Hoyt delivers a fantastic read filled with a swoonworthy romance and holiday spirit. Although I’m sad that this series has come to an end, all the books in the series have been favorites of mine. This novella captures the same fun banter and sinful heroes that I have come to love about this series.

If you’ve followed the series thus far, then you will be familiar with the hero. He was a man who made quite an impression in previous books. I didn’t expect him to get a book, but I was presently surprised with the way Hoyt handled this one. As a rake hero would suggest, this book has a ton of fun flirting and sexy scenes. But it was also funny to see how Adam’s charm didn’t always work on Sarah. For him, I think she was a breath of fresh air. Where loads of women throw themselves at him, Sarah has been immune to this particular rake from the beginning. I loved reading their conversations and eventually seeing how Adam was able to win her over. So if you enjoy rakish heroes who work hard to win over their heroine, I’m sure you’ll get a kick out of this one.

Review will post closer to release day

Full review to be published online in early December.

ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS EVE is a cute ending to the “Maiden Lane” series; but it wasn’t quite what I was expecting to finish out the series. It was nice, but not particularly memorable. This was a rather typical dreading Christmas meet-cute novella between Viscount d’Arque and Sarah St. John, but done with a historical flair. Got a last meetup with some favorites leads from the series, so that was a help. Can’t wait to see what Elizabeth Hoyt has planned for her readers next.

FINAL DECISION: A much anticipated story since the two met in LORD OF DARKNESS, I loved finally reading their tale. The novella is short, but the action works so well between these two that the story left me smiling.

THE STORY: Adam Rutledge, Viscount d'Arque doesn't like Christmas but he does love his grandmother so he does his duty escorting her to the holiday festivities. An accident strands them at the St. John house where he meets Sarah St. John again. Sarah hates rakes and she is not afraid to let Adam know it. As the two are forced into close proximity, the simmering attraction between them combusts.

OPINION: Readers of the series may recall that Adam and Sarah had a confrontation in LORD OF DARKNESS. Ever since, many fans of the series have wanted these two together. In a final gift to fans, Hoyt gives these two secondary characters their own happy ending.

Adam is such a sweetheart. Although he is a rake, he is always seen as having a heart because of his love for his grandmother. We get to see more of his history here in this novella and it doesn't disappoint. He is sexy and rakish, but he is also a good person who respects women. (Thankfully all his behavior and history fits nicely with his character as he has appeared through the series).

Sarah is smart and witty and certainly can compete with Adam on all levels. She also hides some hurt in her past that challenges the relationship between her and Adam. This Christmas is set up as an opportunity for her to find a husband, but the only man she had eyes for is Adam.

I love that these two exchange so many cutting snarky comments. There is something entirely comforting about how these two interact on an intellectual level. I loved how their talk contrasts with their essential goodness. These two are both nice people on the fundamental level and their interactions allow them the opportunity to see that in one another and find a way to trust one another.

This is a sexy story, but limited by its length. I loved all the glimpses of other characters and also how the promise of these two that appeared in LORD OF DARKNESS is fulfilled here.

While I was a little sad that there weren't more appearances by characters in the series, I was so happy that this well done little story was written. A warm little Christmas story that left me with a warm feeling in my heart and a smile.

WORTH MENTIONING: Readers get to see the St. John family.

CONNECTED BOOKS: ONCE UPON A MAIDEN LANE is the 12.6 and final installment of the Maiden Lane series. This novella has the romance of two secondary characters from the series. It is not necessary to read the other books to enjoy this one, but this novella is a treat for those who followed the series and wondered about these two.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to provide a review. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

The review will be posted on December 5th when the novella is released.