This one started well but slid downhill rather quickly. Fun and fluff turned into angst and drama. Oliver and Cerian began as a fun couple, but the angst between the two soured my enjoyment of them. Even the ending wasn’t able to save this novella from being mediocre. ( )

Cerian is suddenly wealthy and Oliver is suddenly a Duke, and those things are making them highly sought after on the marriage market. After meeting at a holiday party in a silver closet where they were hiding from unwanted suitors they come up with a plan to pretend to be courting in order to be left alone. Of course neither one of them counts on falling in love.

Bowman writes with a great deal of humor. I adored the banter between all the characters and especially between Cerian and Oliver. While I was reading the last quarter of the book I realized I'd been smiling the entire time.

This totally met my christmas reading needs and made me curious to read Bowman's other book in this series.

(Provided by publisher) ( )

I can read Valerie Bowman’s books anytime, anywhere! I tune everything and everyone out when I read her books. She writes funny, sensual and romantic characters so well that they feel like my friends. By the time I reach the end of the book, I hate to leave my new friends. I want to stay just a bit longer among them…

This novella was too short for me, yet it packed a punch and accomplished so much within the confines of a ‘novella’.

I have no doubt that you’ll love the hero as much as the heroine. Both were so charming and witty I kept chuckling and laughing as they tried to navigate their budding relationship and many envious guests at the house party that they’re both attending.

I also liked the secondary characters; Kate Townsende was such charming hostess [from 'Secrets of a Scandalous Marriage'], Sir Gilliam and Lady Selina were positively squirming with envy, but Lady Selina’s mama took the cake and I loved, just LOVED when she got hers!

Oh, and I must not forget ...for the rest of my review, I thank you for jumping over to b2b....

http://bookworm2bookworm.wordpress.com/2013/10/29/it-happened-under-the-mistleto...

Melanie for b2b

*Book provided by the publisher through NetGalley. ( )

"3.5 out of 5 stars! Two people are looking for the same thing in finding a spouse ... a love match but, because of their inheritances, it's hard to find that certain person who is being true ... that is until they meet each other."

Read more of this review and a teaser here: http://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2013/12/made-grade-secret-brides-serie... ( )