Books › A Christmas Wish
A Christmas Wish
First published 1995 · 288 pages
A gentle, tea-scented embrace of a romance where quiet competence is ultimately rewarded with steadfast love.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like stepping out of a cold winter wind into a warm, fire-lit drawing room where a pot of tea and a plate of buttery biscuits are already waiting. It is a profoundly gentle, low-angst experience, moving at a leisurely pace that allows the reader to savor the soothing rhythms of daily routine, quiet competence, and polite restraint. The narrative is steeped in a comforting nostalgia, focusing as much on the details of cozy interiors and hearty meals as it does on the central romance. It delights readers who crave an old-fashioned, sweet love story devoid of modern cynicism, offering instead the quiet, steady satisfaction of watching a sensible, unassuming heroine finally receive the steadfast devotion she deserves.
- Mood
- cozy
- nostalgic
- wintry
- comforting
- Tone
- gentle
- earnest
- polite
- traditional
- Pace
- leisurely
- Themes
- quiet competence · hidden longing · domestic comfort · unrequited love · finding a home
- The writing
- Simple, comforting, and highly attentive to the soothing domestic details of meals, clothing, and cozy interiors.
- The arc
- The protagonist moves from quiet resignation and hidden longing to the warm, secure realization of being deeply loved.
- Who it's for
- Readers seeking a gentle, low-angst, old-fashioned romance anchored by cozy domesticity and a guaranteed happy ending.
Content notes
- outdated gender roles
About the book
For Olivia Harding, the offer of employment at an exclusive private girl's school had come as something of a godsend. With little experience, she hadn't expected to find a job so easily, let alone one that still bought her into contact with her former boss, the eminent Dutch surgeon, Haso van der Eisler.
Of course, his frequent visits to the school had more to do with his goddaughter, Nel, than her own limited attractions. Nel was a lonely fatherless girl and that Haso should marry her glamorous mother seemed obvious to all but Olivia's stubborn heart.
Description from Open Library.
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