Once Upon a Christmas Eve

A Maiden Lane Novella

By: Elizabeth Hoyt

Narrated by: Ashford McNab

A heartwarming stand-alone novella from New York Times best-selling author Elizabeth Hoyt!

Adam Rutledge, Viscount d'Arque, really rather loathes Christmas. The banal cheerfulness. The asinine party games. And, worst of all, the obligatory trip to the countryside. His grandmother, however, loves the holiday - and Adam loves his grandmother, so he'll brave the fiercest snowstorm to please her. But when their carriage wheel snaps, they're forced to seek shelter at the home of the most maddening, infuriating, and utterly beguiling woman he's ever met....

Sarah St. John really rather loathes rakes. The self-satisfied smirks. The sly predatory gazes. Oh, and the constant witty banter rife with double meaning. But in the spirit of the season, she'll welcome this admittedly handsome viscount into her home. But as the snowstorm rages, the Yule log crackles, and the tension rises, Sarah and Adam find themselves locked in a fiery, passionate kiss. If love is the true meaning of Christmas, it's the one gift this mismatched pair can't wait to unwrap.

©2017 Elizabeth Hoyt (P)2017 Hachette Audio

Nice to Have Maiden Lane Characters

Would you consider the audio edition of Once Upon a Christmas Eve to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the print version, but thoroughly enjoyed the audio version.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Once Upon a Christmas Eve?

It was just an overall Christmas-feel-good...makes you smile, but the main character defending the naïve was a memorable moment.

What about Ashford McNab’s performance did you like?

She has a nice voice and she distinguishes the characters well.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me smile...some hopes were predictable...I liked the grandmother.

Any additional comments?

I like having some Maiden Lane characters from one of the memorable books.

Christmas barely signifies … and a frog

“Her outrage was terribly entertaining.”
This was a fun nightcap with the standard enemies to lovers trope smashed into a lightning quick romance. Other than Christmas being the reason for Viscount D’Arque and his mum to be traveling,
and a passing reference or two, there really isn’t that much about the season.

“Her breath hitched.”
I loved the narration, even if the passionate parts were overacted with whispery enthusiasm.
There’s one handsy scene before the Big One and one rather out of place F bomb. If you want traditional holiday regency with fade to black nooky, this isn’t it. But, if you like a bit of spice with your sugar, this is a great Christmas confection.

There’s a bonus story of The Frog Princess told in single sentences beginning each chapter.
It didn’t really add or subtract anything for me.

worth the read/listen

The narrator got a bit quiet, slow, and breathy during the love scenes...this seemed unnecessary, but it's just her style I guess.

I liked that there wasn't really a big unnecessary misunderstanding, but it is more drama and less romantic comedy. Decent for a short Christmas read. I'll reread it again next year.

A good story,

It is a good short story. However I did find some of the direct to the point descriptions a little vulgar and somewhat distracting from the story as a whole. Some of the dialect of the characters was a little nasally but there's no fault of the reader just is what it is. And I believe it was also part of the description of the character in general.

A sweet storey 💜📚💜

I am a huge fan of The Maiden Lanes series & this novella was a very sweet addition. It was nice to see Godrick & Meg from Lord of Darkness in the book. I was happy for Lord Dark to find love. He was featured in other books of the series and I always found him an interesting character. I am quite sad to have this series end, but I look forward to what Ms. Hoyt has for us in the future. Ashford McNab did a fantastic job with her narration as always.

wonderful little read. Good read but fully enjoyed

I really did enjoy this not too long but a sweet tale. Thank you very much

A painful listen

I could not stand the narrator. I don't know why she made the male lead, a rake sound like a bore. This is the first audio book I couldn't finish due to the narrator.

Vicount Dark meets his match!

Yup, he has it bad! Funny how it falls out if the sky like that. What would he do without that grandmere of his? It's like she flipped a switch in him. Totally different guy! Where did he come from?

Not very Christmasy

Short romance - fairly predictable. Fit the bill nicely except that I was looking for a seasonal story and the closest this got was going out for holly. I liked the characters and it was fine.

holiday review.

Loved the story. Enjoyed meeting old & new characters. Great read for the holidays. Lord Dark smilea