Belle’s Christmas Carol + Giveaway

While all of London waits for snow, an orphanage in need holds holiday cheer, sparks of love, and secrets waiting to be discovered.

When Ebeneezer Scrooge’s former fiancée, Belle Beaumont, unexpectedly inherits a struggling London orphanage, she dreams of giving the children of Haven House the most splendid Christmas they’ve ever known. But her vision of snowflakes and merriment quickly collides with reality: Fire damage has rendered part of the building unsafe, and the paperwork is years behind.

Barrister Rafe Munro is fighting to clear an innocent man and searching for a child, who may be his relative. His pursuit leads him to Haven House, where Rafe offers to help Belle sort through the chaotic records that might lead to the missing child. Amid the mayhem of running an orphanage full of mischievous children and eccentric staff, will Belle and Rafe find love and the answers they seek this holiday season?

With characters from Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, this festive historical romance Christmas novella of family and second chances from Michelle Griep is set in Victorian England.

My Review:

What a Dickensian wonder! Griep has created a story that seamlessly fits into the Victorian storytelling style. Words and phrasing reflect the era and help to create the atmosphere that so many of us feel when we think of Dickens’ classic Christmas Carol. And the way she fits a young Ebenezer into Rafe and Belle’s story is quite brilliant!

Rich with a gamut of emotions. Belle with her unexpected inheritance and the lively (understatement!) young orphans who live there. Not to mention the well-meaning but bumbling servants who might take more supervision then all the children combined. Poignant moments mix with hearty laugh-out-loud ones. And then there’s Rafe, an earnest young lawyer desperate to make a difference in the world, only to find himself unexpectedly at the orphange’s doorstep in the midst of complete bedlam. His orderly existence takes a turn for the worse…or maybe I should say better since it comes with Belle.

The perfect combination of heart and hope at Christmastime, ‘Belle’s Christmas Carol’ is destined to become its own kind of seasonal classic in years to come.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Jennifer Smith who did an amazing job with the variety of characters of all ages and accents. Such a fun and entertaining listening experience!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

US –  paperback or ebook – winner’s choice 

Canada – paperback, ebook or audio — winner’s choice

International – ebook if you have a US Kindle account

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Belle’s Christmas Carol, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday September 19 2026.