Easy to read happy ever after holiday romance....
Title: On This Christmas, I Thee Wed
Author: Virginia Barlow
Publication Date: December 18, 2024
Pages: 280
Genre: Historical Holiday Romance
Bartered to Viscount Hudson Becker by her father, Lady Lavinia Holbrook escapes her arranged marriage and travels to her Godmother, the Duchess of Chauncy to seek asylum. Determined to put men and marriage behind her, she is unprepared for the duke’s interest or his heated kisses.
The Duke of Chauncy believes love is a weakness and refuses to take a bride despite his mother's scheming. When the duchess makes a wager he will marry by Christmas, he considers the matter a lark. Until Lavinia gets under his skin, and he rethinks his position on love and happy ever afters.
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Book Excerpt
Nay. His mother had nothing to do but plot his matrimonial demise and design a nursery for his progeny.
God. Though he loved her with all his heart, why wouldn’t she accept his decision to remain a bachelor?
Lavinia’s voice played in his head.
There, neither Papa nor the viscount can order me
to do anything I don’t want to do.
He understood her frustration, but even Scotland wouldn’t save him from his mother. The woman had a tenacious streak to rival Satan’s.
And who the hell was the viscount? He knew of no scandal involving Lavinia. Her voice continued.
I refuse to be some man’s broodmare, impregnated and discarded…
Snorting, he wanted to add his discontent to being a…What would a man forced to sire a child be called, anyway? A brood sire?
He chuckled. Discarded like a settee in the parlor.
Forgotten until the lord required someplace to sit. The girl used amusing analogies, he thought. But if she were his, he wouldn’t be sitting on her. Nay, she would be atop
him. The memory of her soft body in his arms made him rigid.
Shifting in his seat to ease his ardor, he remembered her mentioning being abducted by a Scot and taken to the highlands to ravish. Then her voice went all dreamy and soft as if ravishment by a highlander were every girl’s fantasy.
His lips tightened as he swung his chair around to stare out the window, steepling his fingers in thought.
English lords were much better lovers and far superior in every other avenue. What the devil did she have against them?
Perhaps her parents were the answer. The Earl of Holbrook and his wife were the epitome of a marriage of convenience, and with their history, he could understand her reluctance to join the marital throng. He avoided the marriage noose for much the same reason. Thoughts of being tied to some of the ladies his mother paraded through the castle made him shudder with revulsion.
Good god, what a dreadful thought.
– Excerpted from On This Christmas, I Thee Wed by Virginia Barlow, The Wild Rose Press, 2024. Reprinted with permission.
Virginia Barlow has been a dreamer her whole life. She loves reading, traveling, and roses. She will dive headfirst into any romance she can get her hands on in any genre. Although her first love is Regency Romance and always will be. Something about the era calls to her soul like a siren’s song rising from the depths.
She loves to write steamy romances whether fantasy, historical, or contemporary, all are liberally spiced with adventure and sensual, seductive heroes. Her heroines are just as compelling with equal parts intelligence, sass, and backbone. They give as good as they get whether saving their man’s life or responding to his heated kisses, they’re all in.
The most important thing in Virginia’s life is her family, and spending time with them. When she is not bouncing a grandbaby in her arms or handing out popsicles, she is writing and dreaming up her next love story. Virginia has published fifteen romance novels with another two on the way and has half a dozen more circling around inside her head eager to make their debut.
Interview:
Where are you from?
I am from Utah. Born and raised. Although I have lived in Arizona, North Dakota, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas, Utah will always be home.
Tell us your latest news?
I am writing the latest edition to the Calhan Brides. Mercy’s Peril is about the oldest Calhan brother, Connor, and his romance with Mercy Jackson.
When and why did you begin writing?
I began writing in 2018. I had a story in my head that needed to be told. I considered the idea several times over the last couple of years and in 2018, I made it happen.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I did not consider myself a writer or an author until I held my first book in my hands. And that moment was one of the most exciting and fulfilling moments of my life.
What inspired you to write your first book?
When I considered writing my first book, I had experience with someone who considered themselves a Cinderella of sorts. But in reality, they were more like the stepsisters, spiteful, arrogant, and selfish. Blaming others for their wrongs, lying about the details, and making others look guilty were this person’s main objective, with no guilt or conscience for the lies, or deceit. The idea of writing a spin on Cinderella from that standpoint intrigued me, and I wrote the story. The rest is history.
Do you have a specific writing style?
I am a plotter. I do a lot of research before I begin to type the first words to make sure my story is accurate. I plan out the chapters and the characters before I begin.
How did you come up with the title?
The title to this story incorporates the Christmas Theme with the wedding vows. I had to do a search to see how many books had similar titles before I settled on it.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
I like my heroines to be spunky and intelligent. I think women have always been so, and I enjoy creating stories where my heroines go against the status quo. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
How much of the book is realistic?
This story is purely fiction. The arranged marriage is factual for the times as is the mention of a man putting a collar on his wife and auctioning her off. This is a real thing that began at the end of the 17th century in England. They referred to the practice as “Wife-selling.”
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
There are no references or experiences in this story that refer to any real or imagined event in my life. This story is purely the creation of my imagination.
What books have most influenced your life most?
I would have to say Barbra Cartland’s stories influenced me most. My mother read them all the time, and I followed her example. I have loved Regency Romance ever since.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
Barbra Cartland for the reasons listed above. Hers were the first romances I ever read and they have had a great impact on my life.
What book are you reading now?
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
I am reading a lot of motivational books currently. The most recent is ‘You Are a Badass”
I have to admit, I do not have a new author I have been drawn to. I have been doing a lot of self-motivational reading of late.
What are your current projects?
I am currently finishing up the fourth addition to Calhan Brides featuring the oldest Calhan brother, Connor.
Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members?
I have the greatest admiration for my boss and close friend Carrie Kelsch. She has cheered me on, and gives me her support every day, I have nothing but love and gratitude in my heart for her.
What would you like my readers to know?
I would like my readers to know how grateful I am for their support and love. I couldn’t do it without them.
Website & Social Media:
Website ➜ https://www.virginia-barlow.com/
X ➜ https://x.com/Virgini35142126
Facebook ➜ https://www.facebook.com/groups/3046288755596817
Goodreads ➜ https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19838312.Virginia_Barlow
Thank you for featuring my book - Virginia Barlow
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