A little Christmas adventure and romance... Carols and Chaos by Cindy Anstey (Review & #Giveaway)



Welcome to my tour stop! Check out my review and the giveaway below...

Carols and Chaos
By Cindy Anstey
YA Historical Romance, Christmas
Paperback & ebook, 336 Pages
October 9th 2018 by Swoon Reads

Summary

From the author of Suitors and Sabotage comes a swoonworthy Christmas adventure, perfect for fans of Jane Austen and Downton Abbey.

1817. The happy chaos of the Yuletide season has descended upon the country estate of Shackleford Park in full force, but lady's maid Kate Darby barely has the time to notice. Between her household duties, caring for her ailing mother, and saving up money to someday own a dress shop, her hands are quite full. Matt Harlow is also rather busy. He's performing double-duty, acting as valet for both of the Steeple brothers, two of the estate's holiday guests.

Falling in love would be a disaster for either of them. But staving off their feelings for each other becomes the least of their problems when a devious counterfeiting scheme reaches the gates of Shackleford Park, and Kate and Matt are unwittingly swept up in the intrigue.

Full of sweetness, charm, and holiday mischief, Carols and Chaos—a standalone companion novel to Suitors and Sabotage—is perfect for readers who like their historical fiction with a side of romance and danger.

Praise for Carols and Chaos:

"One part intriguing mystery, one part cozy romance. Jane Austen fans will enjoy the propriety and the Regency setting, while that dose of Christmas adds an extra bit of cheer.” —Booklist

"A nod and a wink to the works of Jane Austen and Charles Dickens. ... This book could serve as a stepping stone to classic read-alikes, such as Pride and Prejudice or Jane Eyre." —School Library Journal

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My Review

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.

About the Author


Whenever she is not sitting at the computer, throwing a ball in the backyard, gardening or reading, Cindy can be found–actually, not found–adventuring around the world with her hubby.

She has lived on three continents, had a monkey in her yard and a scorpion under her sink, dwelt among castles and canals, enjoyed the jazz of Beale St and attempted to speak French.

Cindy loves history, mystery and… a chocolate Labrador called Chester.


Tour-Wide Giveaway

Signed copy of Carols and Chaos
Ends November 18th

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have you read any of this author's other books? Any thoughts on this one or my review?

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