Book Review: Once Upon a Winter's Eve (Spindle Cove #1.5) by Tessa Dare
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| Rating: 4 Stars |
Published December 10th 2016 by CreateSpace
Summary: Some wallflowers bloom at night...
A Spindle Cove Novella
Violet Winterbottom is a quiet girl. She speaks six languages, but seldom raises her voice. She endured bitter heartbreak in perfect silence. 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. His coarse attire and near-criminal good looks would put any sensible young lady on her guard. 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.
Warning: The heroine packs a pistol, the hero curses in multiple languages, and together they steam up a cold winter’s night.
(from Goodreads)
Review: This is a novella from the Spindle Cove series, and can for sure be read as a stand alone (as can all the Spindle Cove books, with minor spoilers of major plot points from the other books). I've read a lot of Spindle Cove books, but don't really remember Violet as one of the side characters… She sure is memorable in her own book, though!
I really enjoyed this novella, it was a bit like Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Violet is BAD ASS, and Christian is hot. Being the sad speaker of one single language, I am fascinated by people who can fluently speak more than one, and Violet speaks six! I love the back and forth between Violet and Christian and felt like, even though this is a secret agent/spy novel, they were both very believable. I love that Violet takes something bad that happened to her and turns it around, refusing to let it drag her down and instead using it to grow as a woman, becoming strong, confident, and a total BAMF. *sigh* I sure love me a BAMF leading lady…
At 155 pages this is a pretty quick read, and takes place over just one night (with an epilogue, of course, taking place some months later). It's fast paced and fun, and was a great read for an evening in the week before Christmas.
This looks adorable!! Requesting it immediately.
ReplyDeleteOr you could wait until I see you at New Years and I can give you my copy. :)
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