This was like one of those Victorian Christmas romances, very common if you enjoy historical romances. Usually, under Christmas, the romance series like Harlequin and Mills&Boon ask to their more important authors to write a Christmas story; these stories are always sweet more than passionate, and they have, of course, an happily ever after. But more than that, for all the novel, you are never worried for your heroes, since you are sure they are enjoying a Seasonal romance with you and they will be happy in the end.

This is it for Thomas and Andrew; when the novel starts Thomas is the disowned son of a duke who can barely afford a room at the University Club. Most of the time he is helped by his good friend Andrew, the son of a wealthy merchant. Not that at Thomas cares much that his friend his not nobility, and they really are tight, someone could say as tight as lovers. But Thomas is really naïve, and he has never questioned Andrew’s attachment. On the other side Andrew is well aware to be in love with Thomas, but for the sake of their friendship, he has never said a word.

I think Andrew’s move to have the both of them spending Christmas with Thomas’s family was more something he did for Thomas. He convinced his friend he wanted to see how Christmas season is in a country Manor House, but to me it seemed he wanted for Thomas to reconcile with his family, after he ran away 6 years before to avoid to marry the woman picked by his father.

From the moment they arrive, to discover that in the last 3 years there was not Christmas at the house due to the mourning for Thomas’s sister in love passing, to the time they will leave, everything will change. Without much drama, and I would daresay, not much surprise, Thomas will realize his interest in Andrew is more than a simple friendship, and when Andrew will finally admit his own feelings, Thomas is more than ready to look at his friend with different eyes. Their love story is sweet and the happily ever after smells of all the good things you can eat at Christmas. I will not say it’s an impossible ending, I learned long ago few example of same sex happily ever after were possible, so I will sit down, and enjoy the comfortable and warm feeling of this novel.

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2083

Amazon Kindle: The Christmas Wager
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (December 20, 2010)

Reading List: http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle


Cover Art by Paul Richmond