I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

This has been on my TBR pile for so long, and I'm glad I finally got around to it. I really enjoyed the storyline and seeing the characters change throughout the story was a great character development. The plot was great and kept my attention. I'm glad I got the chance to read this and will be on the lookout for more in the future!

DNF - I was looking foward to reading this after Love Lies and Spies but that feeling didn't last very far into this book. The dialogue between the main characters felt cringey.

How sweet was this!? I love Christmas books, and this one was so much fun. I've only seen short promos or commercials for Downton Abbey, but that's the same feeling this book gave me. I did like the slight mystery to the story and it was so festive and fun! Highly recommended!

The plot was a bit of a jumble. The main characters were enjoyable. The scenes with Kate and Matt are absolutely fantastic and what I enjoyed most of the book.

Carols and Chaos is a sweet romance between two side characters from Suitors and Sabotage. Although a standalone novel, it is best to read Suitors and Sabotage first to understand the dynamics of the relationships between all the characters.

Kate is a lady's maid and Matt is a Valet, both servants to two different upper-class characters from Suitors and Sabotage. The romance between Kate and Matt is slow as both are concerned about what a romance between them would mean for their current employment. But, when another servant goes missing, Kate and Matt spend more and more time together to solve the mystery of his disappearance. But, as they investigate this missing servant, the more entangled they get into a dangerous counterfeiting scheme, unbeknownst to them.

It's rare to see a story centered on the romance between servants in a historical fiction novel. Usually, the love interests are nobles or royalty, so I did enjoy the different perspective. And, although slow to start, the story does pick-up midway through the book and really doesn't stop! It gets exciting from that point on, so don't give up if you feel not much is happening in the first half of the story. I was hoping for more of a Christmas feel throughout the book, but the story focuses more on the romance between Kate and Matt and the missing servant.

Another cute romance from Anstey with some adventure, danger, and intrigue! If you like a clean romance with Austen-styled writing, then you will enjoy Carols and Chaos.

Ms Anstey is quickly becoming a favourite of mine. Her books although fitting in the historical romance genre have a lot of grit to them that defies the HR tendency for being cookie cutter plot. Ms Anstey develops strong characters and avoids the pitfalls of the genre. She also keeps the pace hard right up to the end so you aren't sure if the heroes and heroines will prevail.

Posted to Goodreads: Carols and Chaos was a cute historical fiction mystery with a little bit of romance that will appeal to fans of Downtown Abbey or Upstairs Downstairs.

I can’t help but cringe a lot and feel mortified for the events that just happened here. The beginning seemingly was not that engaging at all. The narration was tolerable. And as it goes it diminished but halfway through it became staggered.

The dialogue was what made me feel embarrassed. I read through and between the lines, I see that there is a strong chemistry that isn’t forced upon. But whenever they open their mouth and goes on banter with each other I couldn’t brush off the feeling of forcing it way too much.

Especially when they were getting close in their hunt for the culprit and when they are interacting with the culprit. I can only take much. I wanted to abandon it. And pick up another romance read. The interacting among these gentlemen and lady was horrid. It was unnatural and contrived.

Loved reading this! I wasn't sure what to expect, but this book is so much more than I first thought! So good!

This was okay I couldn’t really get into it. I wish it was gripping and catchy and more fluffy. I was expecting a lot more.

Unfortunately, I was unable to get into this title. It just wasn't a good fit for me. Thanks so much for the opportunity to read this title. I will not be posting a review online, in order not to skew the ratings.

Holidays. Mystery. Romantic. All those words are in one story. Carols and Chaos is the historical fiction, romance, and young adult book. Christmas is in less than two months, but I like to review the book earlier. I love romance Regency stories, so this book is perfect for me. I like the plot very much because it is intriguing. This story has a mix of romance and mystery, which of course, fit the overall plot. The characters are great as well as Kate and Matt. It’s interesting that most of the characters are maids and servants.

Overall, Carols and Chaos is an excellent holiday read. I enjoy reading it and I will definitely read it again when Christmas season starts next month. I agree that this book is excellent for fans of Jane Austen and Downton Abbey. Holiday season is coming soon, I will recommend this book to readers who want to read a Regency Christmas story, including YA.

This was just fine. The characters were vanilla as was the plot. I just couldn't get into this. Not my favorite.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Another joyous reading experience penned by the witty and talented of Cindy Antsey. When I learned that Cindy had written a Christmas themed tale I actually shrieked with glee and neatly jumped up and down. What a splendid combination of Cindy’s always lovable characters set amidst her romantic and fun loving depiction of the English early 19th century era with what I revere as the most the most nostalgic and happy time of the year.
Carols and Chaos was an absolute pleasure to read. I was immediately intrigued by this tale being the first of Cindy’s that feature a storyline following the plight of the downstairs staff rather than the privileged English gentry and in addition to this exciting new aspect our charming main characters previously featured as minor characters in Cindy’s previous novel, Suitors and Sabotage, which I had thoroughly loved! I could hardly be happy and anticipatory of a book I await reading. I was chomping at the bit!
I really loved the main characters, Kate and Matt, ladies maid and valet to our main characters from Suitors and Sabotage, lady Imogene and the Steepleton brothers, Ernest snd Ben. Kate was a particularly refreshingly kind and cheerful heroine who I genuinely loved for her positivity and playfulness. She’s hard working and fun loving, a rare combination in female characters in my recent experience. She was so sweet and good. Matt, her prospective love interest is similarly enjoyable and respectable. He’s charming and caring.
Our hero and heroine find themselves brought together for the Christmas holiday as Ernest and Ben come to celebrate the season with Imogene’s family. A flirtation that began briefly in Suitors and Sabotage blossoms beautifully in Carols and Chaos. In true Cindy Antsey fashion a dastardly and villainous plot interferes with our protagonists lives which may just help draw them closer together.
I thoroughly enjoyed this period tale full of wit and charm; two parts romance and one part danger with a heap of holiday cheer by one of my most cherished authors.
A hearty thanks to Netgalley and Swoon Reads sharing a copy of this book with me in exchange for an honest review.

There is something truly special about Christmas novels. Perhaps it is the ability these novels give you to allow this special season to last even longer. This novel was sweet, full of Victorian Christmas charm and romance. If you are looking for an Austen-esque romance give this book a try.

Do you love lighter, romance stories? Well look no further because this one will be great for your Holiday TBR!

This book completely reminded me of those Hallmark movies with the love/hate relationships that slowly turn into a swooning moment. You could tell that something was going to happen, but you’ll definitely wait for the big build up.

The characters were a little typical for the plot line, but you couldn’t help but indulge in this forbidden attraction. The scandalous moments coupled with my favorite time of the year brought me into this story rather quickly.

I gave this one 4 out of 5 stars. I loved the time period as well. It brings more conflict to the story, and just overall fits the holiday vibes. I recommend that if you are looking for a romance that brings the chilly spirit, this one is for you!

So get your hot cup of cocoa and a warm blanket ready!

CAROLS AND CHAOS is exactly that. A festive story set at Christmas time with plenty of chaos and a charming romance. Highly recommended to historical romance lovers, especially those who like humor and some suspense in their stories!

This story was so much fun! I loved, loved the characters, the banter, the tension, the suspense element... I loved it all! I also loved how well the author portrayed this time period with the dialogue and with the way the characters interacted, particularly the contrast between the various classes. The romance, the danger, the relationships... they had all the feels. Specifically Kate and Matt were lovely. I loved each of their personalities and loyalties, but I loved how well they complimented each other. I also appreciated that the author added some nice doses of reality... what would it mean if they decided to marry? How would it work? Would they be willing to sacrifice to do so? I enjoyed seeing all the different perspectives, advice given, and how they worked through things. Of course, they were helped along by the circumstances they were put through.

In the end, was it what I wished for? I loved this story! It was all the things I love: a well-written story set in historical England with likable characters, a sweet romance with plenty of chemistry, plenty of tension in both the romance and suspense aspects as well as in the upstairs versus downstairs classes, and an engaging plot. Highly recommended!

Content: Some innuendo, heavy kissing, and violence, but clean.
Source: I received an ARC from NetGalley through Xpresso Book Tours, which did not require a positive review nor affect it in any way.

I love Cindy Anstey's books, and this one certainly didn't disappoint! This book is best read after Suitors and Sabotage, but it can also be read as a standalone.
Kate Darby is employed as a lady's maid for Imogene Chively and Emily Beeswanger, and her mother lives close by. With the holidays near, Ben and Ernest Steeple come for a visit because Ben is engaged to Imogene. Their valet, Matt Harlow, comes with them, and Matt and Kate soon form an attachment after initial attraction to each other as well as some innocent flirtation. When Matt's friend Johnny goes missing after he searches for a man who gave him counterfeit money, Matt and Kate band together to find him. In the process, they will find out that criminals close to home have sinister intentions. Will Matt and Kate survive the dangerous circumstances they find themselves in, and will they ever find Johnny?
I enjoyed this book very much. I usually enjoy clean Regency fiction, and I love how fun Cindy Anstey makes her writing. With witty dialogue, realistic descriptions, funny situations, and an interesting plot, this story is a great holiday read that certainly was an enjoyable one. I realize that this book may not be for everyone because of the time period it's set in, but I thought it was well done. I will definitely be looking forward to her next book, and I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction with a twist of mystery.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. A positive review was not required, and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Nothing to get you in the Yuletide spirit like a little love and mystery. Carols and Chaos is a fun YA Historical Fiction that falls in line with its predecessors for delivering that good feeling.

So for the me the plot got off on a little bit of slow start. I think we were more focused on the introduction of characters and time for Matt and Kate to become a little more acquainted. Once the mystery started to really shine through the pace picked up and I felt more into the story.

I loved that once we really get into the thick of the mystery, the story was both still suspenseful but fun. There are definitely moments where you think oh no but also has comedy weaved in throughout.

I loved Kate and Matt. They had such a natural chemistry right from the start and their exchanges were both witty and sweet. I also love how Kate is the type of character who knows who she is and just exudes awesomeness out of her pores. I really liked her. Matt is the kind of guy you want to hang out with, like ya that guy, he’s good people.

I love that it’s a historical fiction at Yuletide time. I used to work at a historical village and I loved dressing up and working in the Mansion at Christmas. We would make these awesome orange/clove ball ornaments that made my fingers bleed (pushing whole cloves into oranges is not easy) and the place would be decorated up with the greens. So it reminded me of that and it’s such a great warm feeling.

So this story is a spin-off of Suitors and Sabotage but you do not need to read that to read this. If you are looking for your comfort book for the Holiday this is definitely one I can recommend.

I love being able to see points of views from servants in historical fiction books. You get to know so much more about the people that they are serving as well as how the house is run, and the other servants themselves who more often than not have far more exciting lives than the people with money. Carols and Chaos did not disappoint with that part of the story.

Kate and Matt both have a lot of responsibilities for there employers (we first met them in Suitors and Sabotage ) and making sure that they are well kept and when need be also help take care of household duties. Which there are a lot of as it is the Christmas season, which also brings about us meeting and interacting with the other servants. I really wish we had gotten to interact more with them at times, but sadly we do not as Kate and Matt are always so busy with other things. We do however get to see a future highly superstitious moments with the cook and head housekeeper, and the butler who was a surly old man.



Overall I did really enjoy this story, even if it did seem a little disjointed at times. There were so many different parts and things didn't really start to come together for me until the last 30% of the book. That 30% though was what saved this book for me. Not only do we finally start getting answers to what had been happening, but we also got a good mystery!

The mystery surrounded Johnny who was a friend of Ben's who works as a footman. Johnny ends up getting taken for a fool it seems and from there, things escalate as Johnny tries to get back what is rightfully his.

Kate and Matt become determined to find Johnny and in the process end up in some precarious situations. These situations though ended up being my favorite parts of the book, as we really see how much they have grown to care for each other.