Tessa Dare

Some wallflowers bloom at night...Violet is a quiet girl. She speaks six languages, but seldom raises her voice. The gentlemen aren't beating down her door.Until the night of the Spindle Cove Christmas ball, when a mysterious stranger crashes into the ballroom and collapses at Violet's feet. He's wet, chilled, bleeding, and speaking in an unfamiliar tongue.Only Violet understands him. And she knows he's not what he seems.She has one night to draw forth the secrets of this dangerously handsome rogue. Is he a smuggler? A fugitive? An enemy spy? She needs answers by sunrise, but her captive would rather seduce than confess. To learn his secrets, Violet must reveal hers-and open herself to adventure, passion, and the unthinkable... Love.

A Spindle Cove Novella

Once Upon a Winter's Eve

I wanted Christmas atmosphere, and there was none. The mysterious secrets and the thrilling/adventurous plot pulled me into the story quickly. I enjoyed the aspect of languages and how it was used. There was not enough time or page count to make the characters or story fully satisfying. I could not get excited about the romance relationship because I could not like the hero. It was a forgettable reading experience for me.

Cheryl Hedlund

Jaclyn

b.andherbooks

Violet had her heart broken by "The Disappointment" one year ago and is spending her last days in Spindle Cove before being forced back onto the marriage market. She still regrettably pines for Christian, aka "The Disappointment," who she has loved since childhood and who she spent one night with before he disappeared with nary a promise or a by your leave. Violet is stunned when she finds out the bloody, washed up, nearly dead man who appears at the Spindle Cove Christmas ball is Christian, posing as a French farmer. She finds out Christian didn't intend to leave her at all and has also been secretly pining for her all this time but has been secretly spying in France for the Crown. He's now back to convince her to wait for him, but she isn't so sure.

A fun novella, but not quite as fleshed out as I would have liked. Christian wasn't my favorite hero. I think what he did was shitty and felt Violet forgave him a bit too quick.

Nothing like a little Christmas in July! 😍 Slowly but surely I'm going to work my way through all of Tessa's novellas and her Spindle Cove series. But this was an absolute delight and exactly what I needed in my life. So, so swoony.

Nicky Morgan

Hannah Picken

Some wallflowers bloom at night… Violet is a quiet girl. She speaks six languages, but seldom raises her voice. The gentlemen aren’t beating down her door. Until the night of the Spindle Cove Christmas ball, when a mysterious stranger crashes into the ballroom and collapses at Violet’s feet. He’s wet, chilled, bleeding, and speaking in an unfamiliar tongue. Only Violet understands him. And she knows he’s not what he seems. She has one night to draw forth the secrets of this dangerously handsome rogue. Is he a smuggler? A fugitive? An enemy spy? She needs answers by sunrise, but her captive would rather seduce than confess. To learn his secrets, Violet must reveal hers—and open herself to adventure, passion, and the unthinkable… Love.

Once Upon a Winter's Eve A Spindle Cove Novella

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