Seven Swans a Swimming - Twelve Days of Christmas, Book 6

HISTORICAL: Arabella Fitzroy is beside herself with the unfairness of it all! Her father insists she spends the Christmas holiday with the family of her intended, the man she's been promised to almost since birth! The man she's never met, corresponded with, or even heard rumors about. Once she arrives at his family's estate, he shows himself to be rude, insufferable, secretive, and unwelcoming. Nathaniel Cartier has led a reclusive life on his family's estate, and isn't happy to have it disrupted by the talkative, nosy, red-headed city girl his father has chosen to be his bride. Hopefully his off-putting silent manner will encourage her to plead for release from their engagement. Swans, stolen kisses, and secret rendezvous swiftly set aside both their initial judgment of one another!

"Seven Swans a Swimming" is an enchanting holiday tale of love and romance. Not quite an enemies to lovers tale since the two main characters are complete strangers, but close. Readers may find the story either refreshingly sweet or remarkably old-fashioned. The main characters have an undeniable chemistry that gifts readers with the classic will they or won't they? The secondary characters, both human and fowl, wrap the story in a familiar plot with a small twist. Although there is no outright enemy to hate, readers will definitely feel the character's frustrations with having their choices taken or limited. Ms. Murdoch manages to give readers a singularly sweet story set during the holidays that is nicely wrapped with the shy sensibility of innocence, and tied up with a bow of enjoyable sensuality. 

Tonya Mathenia