Reader reviews

• ladypembroke

  (5/5)

  I really did not mean to finish this book tonight. I was going to read a few chapters and head for bed. THREE HOURS LATER (yes, I know, that deserves a SpongeBob gif), and here I am, writing a review. This book got so good, so quickly, I was compelled to keep reading. The OTP were wonderful. The conflict in the story was heartbreaking. There were so many emotions that ran through this novel, that I laughed and cried and gasped and did all three a few more times. You really, really, REALLY root for these two to find happiness and truth. (And, to be honest, I was never all that impressed with the hero in the previous Hellions books. Here he was fantastic -- full of growth, fear, love, anger. You felt for him as a child and forgave him his rebellious rakehell days.) More of this author is she keeps going in this direction!
• Morgan La Batt

  (5/5)

  I loved the fresh, unique storyline and the real dysfunction of the family. The dialogue was great, the character development was outstanding, and I always, always, always enjoy Sabrina Jeffries’ style of writing. She always draws me in and this was no different. 5/5 stars!
• seanbata

  (5/5)

  Sabrina Jeffries never fails to deliver, and this book is no exception. It is FANTASTIC. I was up until the wee hours of the morning reading because I could not put it down. Definitely a must read!
• dawn772

  (3/5)

  This historical romance was just so-so. After awhile all the characters started to analyze everything. The big secret went on way too long. I started skimming and eventually just jumped to last couple chapters. Pierce is estranged from his mother but goes to her when her companion Camilla writes that his mother is dying.
  
• bookworm2bookworm

  (5/5)

  If you are a fan of Ms. Jeffries, then I know for sure you’ll get this book, however, if you’ve never ever heard of her name [OMG! Where have you been all this time?], this is a perfect book to start you on a journey of discovery.
  
  Even though we’ve encountered this novel’s hero in Ms. Jeffries earlier books, this story stands on its own and you need not [but you really should, just because they’re awesomely good as well] read the earlier books.
  
  Pierce Waverly was a mix of Alpha and Beta heroes. As a child he battled asthma and for the longest time he couldn’t understand the reasons behind his exile from the only home he knew. What hurt the most is the abandonment of his parents, though. For years he would spend his school vacations with his cousins until he became an adult.
  
  Miss Camilla Stuart was an exemplary companion to the Dowager Countess of Devonmont, Pierce’s mother. Through her conversations and astute observation of the older woman, she notices her silent suffering and decides to interfere by sending Pierce a missive informing him that his mother is ill.
  
  This was such a heartwarming Christmas tale that will keep you spellbound from the first to the last page. The story delves with past mistakes, regrets and many misunderstandings and assumptions, but the heart of it is the love of a mother for her son and the sacrifice she gives for his protection.
  
  It made me go through many emotions; making me cry and laugh and sigh, but it was never ever boring! I highly recommend you read this one.
  
  Melanie for b2b
• scoutmomskf

  (5/5)

  1 person found this helpful

  Very good book full of intense emotions on the parts of all three main characters. We start out seeing Pierce as an eight year old child waiting for his parents to pick him up from school for the holidays. His confusion over being sent to relatives instead, and the later hurt and then anger as he is banished from his family from then on. He tries to see them one more time as an adult and is rejected, whereupon he does his best to show them he doesn't care by becoming something of a rake.After his father's death he sends his mother to the Dower House, gives her a companion and an allowance and proceeds to ignore her attempts to contact him. Until he receives a letter from the companion implying that his mother is gravely ill and he races to see her. Furious over the deception he plans to leave the next day until Camilla convinces him to stay a little longer.Camilla had contacted Pierce as a way to force him to see his mother. All she could see was the hurting feelings of a woman who had been nothing but kind to her. As a foundling with no family of her own except her young son, Camilla can't understand someone rejecting the only parent he has. I loved seeing her stand up to him, even with the risk of losing her position. She was determined to do everything she could to get them to mend their relationship.Pierce was furious at her interference, but also intrigued by her. While he would normally consider an employee to be hands-off, for her he is willing to make an exception. He uses staying to visit his mother as a carrot to get Camilla to come to his rooms that evening, planning to seduce her. He is surprised by the way that she stands up to him and intrigued enough to change the rules of the bargain. That evening begins the process of them getting to know each other, with Camilla especially beginning to realize that he is not quite the heartless rake she had thought he was. Forced into spending time with her, Pierce discovers that some of his assumptions about his mother are wrong and begins to wonder what else he might not have known. Unfortunately he can't get his mother to actually answer his questions, frustrating him even further.Thanks to the actions of his parents, Pierce doesn't believe in the emotion of love. It isn't until the appearance of Camilla's son Jasper that he is reminded of its existence. Seeing Camilla with Jasper brings back a few memories of happier times with his mother, before he was sent away, but only makes his confusion worse. I loved seeing Pierce get to know Jasper, and loved the way that the two of them connected. It really showed that there was hope for Pierce.The tension between Pierce and Camilla got stronger with each day that passed. Pierce still has no intention of marrying and opening himself up to those kinds of emotions, but he really wants Camilla. The more he thinks about it, the better he likes the idea of asking Camilla to move to London and become his mistress. Camilla wants him also, but knows there's no way she's suitable to be his wife. She's not surprised by his offer, but as a mother she has to put Jasper's well-being before her own desires. I loved seeing her stand up to him, explaining her reasoning, even after the one night she allowed herself with him. It was rather fun to see him not get what he wanted for a change. I also liked the fact that Camilla sees him and his problems quite clearly and has no trouble telling him what she thinks. I loved that she told him that he'd never actually be happy until he was able to let go of his bitterness.Pierce did a lot of changing from the truly bitter man at the beginning of the book to the one who was willing to risk his heart at the end. Even though he had spent so long angry at his mother, it was very revealing that he still sped off to see her when he thought she was dying. He started out not willing to hear any of the things Camilla had to say about his mother, but her statements and his own observations started the slow journey to the truth. He was still blind to his own feelings regarding Camilla when he returned to London, but couldn't get her off his mind. I loved seeing the way he worked through those feelings as he went from feeling abandoned by yet another person to realizing that what he felt for Camilla was a love he'd never dared believe in before.The whole mystery of what created the conflict to start with was very well done. I liked seeing various bits of information come to light slowly as Pierce began to work through his childhood memories. The truth was a combination of expected and unexpected and seeing Pierce finally get his answers was very moving. It was terrible to see everything that Pierce and his mother went through because of his father's irrational behavior.I enjoyed the characters of Pierce's mother and Camilla's son Jasper. Both showed what lengths a mother would go to for their child. Though Pierce's mother is sympathetic from the beginning, there was always that little bit of me that wondered how she could have been so cruel if she really cared for him. Finding out the truth showed just what misery she had endured for his sake and why. Meanwhile, Camilla was willing to give up being with the man she loved because the circumstances would not be what was best for her son.

  1 person found this helpful

• daniellnic

  (4/5)

  Pierce and Caroline have enjoyable romantic chemistry, and atypical of other romances she isn’t significantly younger than Pierce, but is a mature widow raising a child on her own – one she believes she needs to hide in order to keep her position. Pierce, of course, is intelligent handsome but has been hurt by his family with secrets that leave him estranged from his parents. This has been particularly troublesome with his mother, who seemed to adore him. He just needs a good woman to help straighten him out so that he can be the loving and compassionate man he was meant to be (mini-eyeroll).
  
  Shenanigans ensue as Caroline tries to get Pierce to spend mire time with his mother, and he uses spending time in his company as a bargaining tool. Both are stubborn, but as they spend more time together, and slowly find out about each other’s past, they begin to let their guard down and think they can have something together.
  
  I was charmed by the novel, and surprised to see that this was the sixth in a series. That goes to show you how well it can be read alone. Isn’t it good to know that if you like this one, you can look forward to going back and reading the others?Recommended.
• addictofromance

  (5/5)

  Twas the Night After Christmas bridges two series together, "Helliions of Halstead Hall" and "The Duke's Men". After recently reading the first book in the Dukes Men series, I was really excited to read this story. It does take place before the first one begins where we do see a involvement Of Dominic. This story is centered on Pierce and Camilla. Pierce is a Earl, but hasn't had the easiest of upbringings. When he was younger, his mother was everything, until he was sent away to school, and she never wrote him, she wouldn't let him come home for the holidays, and as he became an adult he became bitter against his mother, and now never sees her. Until he receives a note from his mothers companion, Camille, stating that his mother is deathly ill. So he heads straight to the estate where his mother is residing, only to find out that his mother is healthy, and tensions rise fast. Camille is a widow, who has a sweet son, and will do everything for her sons happiness. Then she meets Pierce, who has quite the reputation of drinking and keeping mistresses, but when these two meet, a desire unknown to either one of them changes everything.I loved the layout of this story. It has a very strong Christmas theme to it, (which I loved), the characters were witty and engaging, and the story full of delightful scenes that tie you up in knots. I couldn't put this one down, and it won me over only after a few chapters. This story is very typical of Sabrina Jeffries, and her style is still just as amazing as it is with her earlier books. A story full of abundant humor, sizzling chemistry, and charming characters. One that is to die for!! Looking for a classic holiday read that will send thrills straight to your toes? Well Twas The Night After Christmas is perfect, and just right for you!
• lesferd

  (5/5)

  A very heartwarming book. Christmas is my favorite holiday, so the setting made it much more special. I loved the Hellions of Halstead Hall. Pierce and Camilla's book is a definite standalone but it was nice to see cameos of the heroes from the last two books in the Hellions series. 'Twas The Night After Christmas is a must read. Loved it!
• lilyab_2

  (4/5)

  Courtesy of Galley Books (Pocket Books) through Edelweiss in exchange of an honest review.Wow and I do mean wow. After I finished reading this book, which by the way I couldn't put down once I really got in to it, I hugged my e-reader. The book left me all warm and tingly, a truly beautiful Christmas story.The book was about Pierce Waverly, the Early of Devonmont who has been estranged from his family since he was around seven years old and he doesn't know why. One day his parents just let him go to school and during the break, he isn't welcome in the house by neither of his parents and is sent to live with his cousins. He doesn't get to see his mother for most of his life, so when his mother's companion Camilla Stuart writes him a letter telling him that his mother is seriously ill, he goes home to see her only to learn that the young widow has tricked him.Pierce is completely stunned that Camilla Stuart would go out of her way to trick him into coming home and seeing his mother, but the young window does not seem to understand why the Earl refuses to see her. As far as Camilla knows Lady Devonmont is completely heart broken and misses her son. Of course Pierce also didn't expect Mrs. Camilla Stuart to be young and beautiful. In order to play up to her wishes, Pierce want's to play by his own rules. He will have dinner with Camilla and his mother, if Camilla entertains him after dinner up in his room. Of course sparks fly right off the bed, and things become pretty tense. At first Pierce doesn't want to bed the lady, just simply 'intimidate' her but her past and her experience has him yearning to learn more.I did really enjoy the book. I loved the characters, and the fact that there was this mystery about why Lady Devonmont estranged her son had me wanting to finish it as soon as possible. I liked the tension between all the characters. I loved Camilla, because she had such a big heart and really wanted to make things work for the Earl and the lady. Pierce was also wicked, and my heart ached for him, as he was abandoned at such an early age by his own mother and father. The story was beautifully written, a perfect holiday read that kept me entertained and enthralled. It's a book six of Hellions of Halstead Hall series, and I am a little disappointed that I have not gotten a chance to read the first few books up this far. Now that I learned about this wonderful author, I will definitely be backtracking to book one.
• thehistorychic

  (4/5)

  Read from November 28 to 30, 2012Read for Review (Edelwiess)Overall Rating: 4.25Story Rating: 4.25Character Rating: 4.25Part of my 25 Books for the Holidays for 2012How ‘Twas the Night After Christmas put me in the holiday spirit: I love stories about families reconnecting after misunderstandings and estrangements. Throw in a precious little boy who loves the season and this book is just perfect for a holiday read.What I thought of the characters/story: ‘Twas the Night After Christmas was a wonderful combination of location, story, and romance to put me in the holiday spirit. I really felt drawn to Pierce from the beginning and wondered if/how he was going to reconnect with his mother. I had ideas about what the big secret was but I was totally wrong. I also really loved the romance “dance” (not literally) between Pierce and Camilla. They had a slow build to falling for each other (even though it was a short amount of time) and Camilla always kept what was important to her first (her son). This was such an accurate portrayal of a mother’s love for her son, a romance between two individuals of different stations, and the healing power of the Christmas season!
• readersentertainment

  (5/5)

  This story is about the Earl of Devonmont, Pierce Waverly, who is a scoundrel whose parents abandoned him to school and then relatives. He grows up quite the scoundrel, but you feel such pity for him. He loved him mother so dearly, but she never tried to contact him once he was sent away. It really scarred him.So, when he receives a message saying she is on her death bed and he must come quickly he drops everything to see his mother one last time.Upon arriving he finds that his mother’s hired companion, a lovely widow, has exaggerated her condition greatly. The well-meaning woman is trying to make peace, but Pierce is bitter about his past.The widow, Camilla Stuart is as strong willed as she is well-meaning. But the price the Earl would have to give in to her request may be too much.The story is about redemption, forgiveness and love. It’s a perfect Christmas story and I highly recommend it as a gift! But, you read it first! It’s a keeper! And it’s every bit as magical as mistletoe!